Education Support Pack for Schools

Special Schools

Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements and thanks to the following:
Falmouth Community School, Lower School, Cornwall Trish Davidson, CENMAC, London Carol Tudor, ICT Advisory teacher, Devon Landkey C.P.S., Devon Bishopswood Special School, Sonning Common, Oxfordshire. Jenny Wager, Head teacher and Sarah Mitson Outreach worker. Hedgewood Special School, Hayes, Middlesex. Anne Hutchinson, and Yifat Skehan Kingfisher Special School. Abingdon, Oxfordshire. King Edward V1 Community College, Totnes, Devon. Sarah Kehaya, Inclusion Facilitator, KEVICCS, Devon Inclusion Project, Totnes, Devon. Mill Ford Special School, Plymouth. John McGee and Andrea Hemmings Sunfield School, Clent, Worcestershire Prof. Barry Carpenter, Chief Executive and Principal, Lesley Ross, Nick Logan and Melanie Smart. Anne Sydney CENMAC Judith Stansfield, SEN ICT Advisory Teacher, Devon. Ridgeway Special School, Warwick.

Written by:
Members of the UK Downs Syndrome Education Consortium. Sandy Alton: Advisory Teacher Downs syndrome & Complex Medical Needs, Oxfordshire LEA and Teacher Advisor, Downs Syndrome Association. Jane Beadman: Independent Educational Psychologist, on behalf of Devon Education Authority. Bob Black: Education Information Officer, Downs Syndrome Association. Stephanie Lorenz: Independent Educational Psychologist & SEN Consultant, Downright Educational Services. Cecilie McKinnon: Curriculum Development Officer, Downs Syndrome Scotland. Edited by Eric Nicholas and Stephanie Lorenz

Acknowledgements

Education Support Pack for Special Schools

CONTENTS Unit 1: Introduction ................................................................................................ a) Downs syndrome today. ........................................................................................... b) Some basic facts....................................................................................................... c) Attitudes to disability ................................................................................................. d) Downs syndrome and Autistic Spectrum Disorders ................................................. Unit 2: Special School Partnerships a) The developing role of the special school ................................................................. b) Bishopswood Special School and outreach service.................................................. c) Devon Inclusion Project ............................................................................................. d) From Special to specialist: a case study ................................................................... e) Haybridge High School Sunfield............................................................................. Unit 3: Planning for Teaching and Learning a) The Learning Profile of children with Downs syndrome ........................................... b) Classroom planning and IEPs ................................................................................... c) Using support staff effectively.................................................................................... d) Differentiating learning experiences .......................................................................... Unit 4: Developing gross motor skills in children with Downs syndrome a) Introduction ................................................................................................................ b) Motor development .................................................................................................... c) Six areas of motor development................................................................................ Unit 5: Developing language skills a) Language development in Downs syndrome ........................................................... b) Strategies to promote language ................................................................................ c) Using sign to facilitate language development .......................................................... d) Teaching reading to teach talking.............................................................................. Unit 6; Developing literacy skills a) Learning to read ........................................................................................................ b) Teaching handwriting ................................................................................................. c) Developing writing skills............................................................................................. d) Strategies for spelling ................................................................................................ Unit 7: Acquiring numeracy skills a) Mathematical learning ............................................................................................... b) The language of maths.............................................................................................. c) Difficulities associated with learning maths ............................................................... d) Acquiring basic skills.................................................................................................. Unit 8: Behaviour and social skills a) Causes of inappropriate behaviour ........................................................................... b) Strategies for dealing with behavioural challenges ................................................... c) Promoting social inclusion ......................................................................................... d) Case studies .............................................................................................................. Unit 9: Transition and Alternative Accreditation a) Starting school ........................................................................................................... b) Moving within school ................................................................................................. c) Change of school....................................................................................................... d) Moving from school into the wider world ................................................................... e) Alternative Accreditation at Key Stage 4................................................................... f) Entry Levels .............................................................................................................. g) Conclusion.................................................................................................................

Appendix 1: Examples of individual action plans Appendix 2: Examples of curriculum mapping Appendix 3: Programme for developing gross motor skills in children with Downs syndrome

Contents

Unit 10: ICT, computers as an aid to learning a) The importance of ICT............................................................................................... b) Networking and finding resources ............................................................................. c) Organising resources................................................................................................. d) Literacy and recording ............................................................................................... e) Language and communication .................................................................................. f) Useful addresses of software suppliers...................................................................... g) Useful websites for further information......................................................................

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Introduction

a) Downs syndrome today

Each year, more children with Downs syndrome than ever before are entering community playgroups and nurseries, attending their local mainstream school and joining in social activities with typically developing siblings and friends. Each year more young adults with Downs syndrome are living in the community, gaining qualifications and experiences and succeeding in a wide variety of ordinary jobs. Given the chance to develop their self-help skills and independence, people with Downs syndrome can respond positively to many of todays challenges in mainstream schools, colleges of further education, employment and independent living. While many will need some support to benefit from the opportunities on offer, the amount of help they need will vary greatly from one individual to another. The important fact is that increasingly children and adults with Downs syndrome are being recognised as people in their own right, able to participate in meaningful ways to the life of their communities. This is a very different state of affairs from that which existed in the UK prior to 1970, when children with Downs syndrome were considered ineducable and were often placed in institutions where they lived out their relatively short lives. Expectations of these children were low and they received little in the way of support, stimulation or social experiences. As a consequence, they often failed to develop into confident individuals with the skills necessary to promote their inclusion in the wider community. Instead they stayed in their institutions separated from family and friends. Over the last thirty years, research has increased our knowledge about the capabilities of people with Downs syndrome. At the same time, significant advances in health care, early intervention and family support have vastly improved the quality of life for young people with Downs syndrome and their families, with most parents opting to bring up their disabled child alongside typically developing siblings. Major changes in education law have given children with Downs syndrome the right to full time education. In the early days, most were placed in special schools. However, in recent years, a steadily increasing number are being educated in the mainstream. As a result, expectations of individuals with Downs syndrome have increased, alongside greater acceptance by society at large.

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Nevertheless, for a relatively small percentage of children and young people with Downs syndrome, placement in a special school or unit is still considered to be in their best interests. It could be that they have profound and multiple disabilities that would make it very difficult to include them meaningfully in a mainstream setting. It could be that they present with particularly challenging behaviours. They may have significant medical needs or require a high level of therapy not available in the mainstream. They may have already failed in a mainstream school where they were subject to negative attitudes and low levels of support. The recent report of the Special Schools Working Group states that in their view "special schools should have an important continuing role in supporting children and young people with the most severe and complex SEN, and work in partnership with mainstream schools to assist them to deliver the wider inclusion agenda". The Working Group "considers that the teaching of skills and subject matter needs to be fully informed by a detailed understanding of the pupils learning difficulties". In the context of this pack, therefore, it is important for all special school staff to be aware of the particular needs of pupils with Downs syndrome, as distinct from those of other pupils with learning difficulties.

b) Some basic facts

Downs syndrome is the most common form of learning disability. Two babies with Downs syndrome are born every day in the UK - about one baby in approximately 1,000 live births. Downs syndrome is a genetic condition caused by the presence of an extra chromosome 21. A baby born with Downs syndrome thus has 3 copies of chromosome 21 instead of the usual two. In most children, every cell in the body has the extra chromosome (Trisomy 21). In 1 2% of babies, only some cells will contain the extra chromosome (Mosaic Trisomy 21). However in either case, the effects of the extra genetic material are likely to be very much the same. While children with Downs syndrome share certain physical characteristics, these will vary from child to child. Most importantly, each child will inherit its own family looks and characteristics. Although Downs syndrome is caused by genetic factors, environmental influences and upbringing play a critical role in their development, as with any child.

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Children with Downs syndrome will vary as widely in their development and progress as typically developing children and each will have their own individual talents and aptitudes. Children with Downs syndrome will all have learning difficulties, but these can vary from mild to very severe. At the age of five, the most able children are often functioning near the average level for their age. At the other end of the ability range, there are children with profound and multiple disabilities, often linked with conditions such as autism or epilepsy. Generally speaking, children with Downs syndrome develop more slowly than their peers, arriving at each stage of development at a later age and staying there for longer. Consequently, the developmental gap between children with Downs syndrome and their peers will widen with age. As with many children, progress for those with Downs syndrome is a continual but unsteady process continuing into adulthood where the learning of new skills still goes on. The progress of people with Downs syndrome does not decline with age, nor, as previously thought, do they plateau in their development. People with Downs syndrome are living longer than ever before. The average life span, which has been increasing steadily over time, is now 60 years.
ATTITUDES TO DISABILITY

c) Attitudes to disability
The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (2001), which came into force in September 2002, makes it unlawful for educational providers to discriminate against disabled children by: Treating them less favourably than a nondisabled child on the grounds of their disability without justification.

PITY leading to: overprotection or special treatment

PATRONAGE leading to: knowing best, failing to listen or speaking for the child.

The child DISCRIMINATION leading to: denial of access to opportunities, activities & events. VICTIMISATION leading to: bullying or being subjected to painful or undignified treatment .

Failing to take reasonable steps to ensure that they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared with other pupils who are not disabled.

Fig. 1

Failing to plan strategically for and make progress in improving the physical environment, increasing pupils participation in the curriculum and improving ways in which written information provided to other pupils is also provided to disabled pupils.

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Staff working with children with Downs syndrome need to be aware of and guard themselves against commonly held attitudes to disability. Dont feel sorry for children with a learning disability and as a consequence give them special treatment. Children do not "suffer" from Downs syndrome and special treatment will only serve to isolate them from their peers. Always listen to the child, even if their primary form of communication is signing, gesture, body language or inappropriate behaviour. Dont think you always know what is best. Children who kick their teaching assistant are almost certainly unhappy about what she is trying to make them do. Take care not to discriminate against the disabled child and deny them the same opportunities as other children. Where there are difficulties in allowing a child to participate safely in an event or activity, share your worries with the parents and your colleagues so that a solution can be found. Watch out for bullying or victimisation by staff or other students. Never tolerate name-calling or teasing, as it is just as unpleasant or hurtful as racist or sexist language. Where the child clearly dislikes treatment or intervention being offered by an outside agency, discuss whether the programme is really necessary or if the same objectives could be achieved in a different way.

d) Downs syndrome and Autistic Spectrum Disorders

It used to be the case that all individuals with Downs syndrome who displayed autistic features were thought to be exhibiting these as a consequence of their severe learning disabilities. However, it is now recognised that autistic spectrum disorders can coexist with Downs syndrome. Some people, such as Lorna Wing, believe that as many as 10% of children with Downs syndrome also have autistic spectrum disorder. Others, such as Sue Buckley, believe that autistic spectrum disorders tend to be over diagnosed and occur in only 3 5% of the Downs syndrome population. Nevertheless, there are often problems in diagnosing autism even when the parents know that there is something "more than just Downs syndrome". Although parents may actively seek help from health professionals there may still be a failure to recognise the dual diagnosis except in the most severe of cases. Professionals may hold the stereotypical view that children with Downs syndrome are always sociable so cannot be autistic. Those working with autistic children may lack awareness of the characteristic developmental profile of children with Downs syndrome. Developmental delay is expected in children with Downs syndrome. Therefore symptoms of autism may be overlooked. 4

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Professionals may feel that an additional label is not necessary. Parents or carers may be told, "this is part of low functioning Downs syndrome". All children with an autistic spectrum disorder have significantly more difficulty than others of their age and ability in all three areas of the "Triad of Impairment": Social understanding and the ability to interact with peers. Social communication, both verbal and non-verbal. Thinking and behaving flexibly according to the situation. Children with a dual diagnosis may display a range of behaviours not typically found in children with Downs syndrome alone: They may be overly sensitive to sound, light, touch or pain or fail to respond at all, despite normal sensory functioning. They may have pronounced food fads and resist the introduction of anything new into their diet. They may lack imaginative play, preferring to spin wheels on a car or flick books in front of their eyes. They may react very badly to changes in people or routines. They may become very angry or distressed if their routines are interrupted or their personal space invaded.

It is important to realise that approaches appropriate for typical children with Downs syndrome can not only be futile with a child with a dual diagnosis, but may be detrimental to their developmental progress. In children with a dual diagnosis, it is the autism which must be considered as the primary disability. It is this which gets in the way of the child learning and reacting in the way you would expect of a child with Downs syndrome.

Case History (Melanie Smart, Sunfield School) Laura is a twelve-year-old girl with a diagnosis of Downs syndrome and autism. She was diagnosed with Downs syndrome at birth, and two years later with conductive hearing loss. It wasnt until she was nine that she received a diagnosis of autism. Currently Laura attends a residential special school for children with severe and complex learning needs and challenging behaviour. Laura is an engaging and happy person. Her greatest joy in the world is to make others laugh, and she loves a big reaction! She is very sociable despite her autism and she will often seek interaction for cuddles or rough and tumble play. However, her seeking behaviour is mostly directed towards adults, and is on her own terms. 5

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When Laura is ill or tired she can be very stubborn and determined to avoid requests. When there is a lack of familiarity and routine, Laura can become distressed and this may lead to episodes of challenging behaviour such as slapping, kicking and pushing. She also shows some rigid routine behaviour. Laura also demonstrates self-stimulatory behaviours such as chin tapping, finger twirling and eyelash looking. She is fascinated by shadows and reflective surfaces. Her main means of communication is through PECS (Bondy and Frost, 1994) using photographs with a small symbol attached (Fig. 2). Laura also uses some symbols alone, for immediate needs such as drink and toilet. She understands the concept of exchange (giving a photograph for a desired object) and choice. In Speech and Language Therapy sessions Laura is showing spontaneous commenting. She is assessed at the two-year level for expression and communication.

Fig. 2

In school, Laura works to the TEACCH programme and the routine and structure of this approach has provided the security Laura needs to access all areas of the curriculum (Fig. 3).

Fig. 4 Laura has maximum three sided structure in the classroom, both in her independent workstation and on her oneto-one table (Fig. 4). This eliminates any distraction from others in the class and Fig. 3 allows her to concentrate on her school work. Laura works in units of three tasks and is comfortable with this system. Her schedule (what is happening now and next) is set out in a top to bottom format and she follows this well without the need for support (Fig. 5). Her colour is pink and she associates this colour with her work. Laura is given a visual cue (a pink circle) and verbal prompt to "check her schedule", when she will walk over to her schedule and take the photograph from the top. This tells her what she is doing next and she can then independently make her way to where she needs to be. Laura is very rigid in her routines and has a strong need to complete an activity she has begun. Fig. 5 6

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Useful Reading & References Baron-Cohen S. and Bolton P. (1993) Autism The Facts. Bondy A. and Frost L. (1994) The Picture-Exchange Communication System. Focus on Autistic Behavior. 9, 1-13. Buckley S. (2001) Living with Down syndrome. Down Syndrome Issues & Information. DownsEd. Buckley S., Bird G. and Sacks B. (2002) Social development for individuals with Down syndrome. Down Syndrome Issues & Information. DownsEd. Capone G. (2001) Downs syndrome and Autistic Spectrum Disorder: a look at what we know. Downs syndrome Association, Journal 97, Summer 2001, 6-13. DfES (2002) Autistic Spectrum Disorders. Good Practice Guidance. DfES Publications. Frith U. (1993) Autism and Asperger Syndrome. Houlin P., Wing L. and Gould J. (1995) The Recognition of Autism in children with Downs syndrome. Implications for intervention and some speculations about pathology. Developmental medicine and child neurology, 37, 5,406-414. Jordan R. (2001) Autism with Severe Learning Difficulties. Souvenir Press. Leshin L. (2002) Down Syndrome, Visions for the 21st Century. Wiley-Liss. Lorenz S. (1998) Children with Downs syndrome. David Fulton Publishers. Selikovitz M. (1997) Down Syndrome: The Facts. Oxford University Press. Special Schools Working Group Report (2003) DfES. Wing L. (1996) The Autistic Spectrum. A Guide for Parents and Professionals. Constable. Websites http://www.teacch.com http://www.pecs.org.uk http://www.altonweb.com dual diagnosis articles http://www.disabilitysolutions.org online magazine for DS and dual diagnosis http://groups.yahoo.com/community/ds-autism. Discussion board http://www.nas.org.uk national autistic society will send leaflets and information on request
Downs Syndrome Association 2003 All rights reserved Any part of this publication may be reproduced and distributed free for educational purposes so long as the source is acknowledged. Commercial reproduction requires the written permission of the Downs Syndrome Association.

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Special School Partnerships

a) The developing role of the special school

In their recent report, the Special Schools Working Group sets out "a vision for the future of special schools within the overarching framework of inclusion". They see special schools as: demonstrating expertise in working with pupils with complex learning difficulties, ensuring effective partnership working between special and mainstream schools, innovating in curricular development and providing resource bases for teaching methods, resources and ideas, facilitating the inclusion of pupils with significant difficulties into the mainstream via outreach and in-service training.

As the report states, "we want to see special schools taking a leading role in helping mainstream schools develop more inclusive learning environments. We would like to see more use made of the expertise of special schools in developing innovative methods of curriculum delivery to meet the needs of pupils with a wide range of needs". To do this the working group members envisaged an education system in which LEAs take steps to encourage staff and pupil movement between special and mainstream schools. Ideally all special school pupils should have regular opportunities to mix with typically developing peers from their locality. Without this they will be denied valuable role models and the possibility of being accepted as valued members of their local community: This is reinforced in Removing Barriers to Achievement, the Governments new long term strategy for SEN (DfES/0117/2004).

The report also supports the use of dual placements, whereby children split their time between special and mainstream schools. For some children with Downs syndrome, such arrangements have been highly successful, often leading to full time inclusion. For others, however, they have been problematic as children fail to cope with two different sets of expectations and never truly belong in either setting. If such placements are to be effective it is important that: children attend a local mainstream school rather than one near the special school, special and mainstream staff meet regularly to plan cooperatively and write joint IEPs, a joint behaviour management strategy is drawn up, staff visit each others settings to enable them to anticipate any problems the child might have in moving between them.
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Outreach and in-service training are also highlighted in the report. While many special schools undoubtedly have considerable expertise in curriculum differentiation and behaviour management, they may not be familiar with current mainstream issues or with good inclusive practice. Staff planning to take on an outreach role, therefore, will need to receive appropriate training themselves and to spend time teaching in mainstream classrooms before advising others. Without this training, experience shows that there is a danger that outreach staff may undermine good inclusive practice by promoting approaches which rely heavily on structured individual teaching and withdrawal rather than participation in classroom activities. Outreach teachers who come into school with a file of pre-prepared worksheets unrelated to the class curriculum may only serve to undermine their mainstream colleagues rather than support them in making the childs inclusive experience more effective. It also serves to highlight the child as being different rather than part of the class. Outreach staff need to believe that full inclusion is the way forward for the majority of young people with Downs syndrome and that it is both possible and appropriate to differentiate the mainstream curriculum to meet their needs, however limited their attainment. Sadly this is not always the case as the example below illustrates. Sally is a young girl with Downs syndrome who her parents feel has done really well in her local mainstream school. She is currently in Year 2 and is supported by an outreach teacher from the local MLD school. In her recent report this teacher states that: Sallys general level of development indicates that she needs to continue with the foundation stage curriculum where she will have the opportunity to develop her basic skills, learn to function independently and interact with an appropriate peer group. It is important to consider at this stage the possibility of a dual placement for next year. The pace and expectations of a Key Stage 2 curriculum, together with the level of understanding needed, mean that the majority of the curriculum will be inappropriate for Sally even with 1:1 support at all times. As a result, the school is now recommending that Sally should attend the special school next year. Instead of being supported in their practice and helped to better differentiate the curriculum, their confidence has been undermined.

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b) Bishopswood Special School and Outreach Service, Sonning Common, Oxfordshire.
By Jenny Wager, Head teacher Bishopswood Special School, in South Oxfordshire, is a dynamically evolving special school which has developed over some 20 years to be currently co-located on the sites of three other mainstream schools: our nursery is fully integrated with the nursery class at Valley Road Primary School, Henley; there are new school buildings on the site of Sonning Common Primary School and a set of classrooms and facilities within Chiltern Edge Secondary School. It provides education for children with severe, complex and profound learning difficulties, and offers pupils a wide range of inclusion opportunities on each of the sites. It was judged by the recent Ofsted inspection as very effective in doing so with about 50% transfer from the nursery to mainstream schools at the age of 5. The Bishopswood Outreach service is based at the school. The service was set up to support the increasing numbers of children, especially with Downs syndrome, who are on the roll of mainstream schools in the area. There is a full time team leader and two part time teachers. Sarah meets with the team fortnightly and all three have full timetables. The team is funded centrally but the school provides a base for resources and meetings, travelling expenses and a management allowance for the team leader. The Outreach team has two way links with Bishopswood staff at a variety of levels: they are included in INSET and staff meetings if appropriate; they are involved in dialogue related to pupils. Performance management is also delivered through the school. The Outreach Service is very much valued by the local schools, who are able to use the team in a variety of ways: to to to to to to assess, support and monitor pupils, advise teachers and teaching assistants, develop strategies and resources, work with parents, provide INSET, share specialist knowledge.

The service has an important role to play in helping local mainstream schools to develop their inclusive practice by providing specialist input.

have statements which specify involvement of The Bishopswood Outreach Service,

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The team works with children at Code of Practice Stage School Action Plus or with statements. Children can be considered for support if they:

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are moving from Bishopswood School to mainstream school, including transition from Bishopswood Nursery, are referred to the service by an Educational Psychologist, have additional needs which cannot be met by the schools own SEN provision.

The Outreach Team can give advice and monitor progress, give weekly support to children, contribute to annual reviews and plan programmes of work for individual children, in collaboration with school staff. There are mutual benefits in the links between the Outreach team and the special school. The Outreach team gain expertise and knowledge about working with and supporting children with SEN in mainstream which is valuable to the special school staff in developing further inclusion links and projects with our co-located partner schools, and they have opportunities to work in the special school to refresh or develop their SEN knowledge base. Bishopswood School is keen to expand its role not only with its partner schools but also within the wider local partnership of schools. A co-located special school like Bishopswood has a lot to offer children with SEN and pupils have a timetable for inclusion not for withdrawal. Apart from specialist teaching, knowledge and resources, it provides an environment which is carefully designed to meet their physical, social and emotional needs. However, equally importantly, it gives them the opportunity to live and learn alongside their mainstream peers at the most appropriate level for each individual and flexibility for inclusion along a wide continuum. Management and class teachers can work closely in a co-located school, to plan individual and group work and to develop formal and informal links in an inclusive environment. As with any other school development issue, support and enthusiasm is essential in developing projects and all groups need to be informed and involved, including governors and parents. The links between partnership schools are likely to focus on meeting the needs of individual pupils, either those in the mainstream school or children from the special school who might benefit from inclusion links with their local community, and developing training opportunities for both teachers and support staff. Special schools need to be able to identify pupils who could be given early specialist help so that a supported, phased transfer to or shared placement with a mainstream school can be planned successfully. However, teachers in special schools need to build and develop their practice within their own environment to ensure that they can offer excellent support and advice.

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Outreach - Annies Story (Sarah Mitson, Outreach Co-ordinator) As the coordinator of the Outreach team, I have been working for the past two years with a child who has Downs syndrome. Prior to this, my predecessor worked with her for four years. I will call the pupil Annie. Annie was born in 1988 and started at her local mainstream primary school when she was five years old. It was decided that she would be kept back a year to help her gain confidence and so that she had that little bit longer to adjust to school life. Annie settled well at school and there were only a few incidents during her primary years. These were to be expected and the small school setting as well as the good relationship between staff and Annies parents meant that incidents were dealt with promptly and positively. By the time Annie was in Year 6, the following comments were written by the Outreach worker for her Annual review. " Annie has made very good progress this year in her language development, literacy and numeracy skills. We have all been pleased with how mature and independent Annie has become. She is able to say what she needs for a lesson when asked and is completing work with adult support. Annie is well motivated and happy in school which has obviously contributed to this progress. Annies ability to make conversation has greatly increased. She will often ask questions to gain more information and she is making an effort to speak clearly. She will often initiate a conversation about an event that has happened to her and she will give an opinion about what she likes or does not like doing." As year 7 approached and transition to secondary school loomed anxiety levels rose! One of the roles of the Outreach teacher is to aid the transition process by taking pupils on regular visits to their new school and liaising with staff at the secondary school. Most mainstream pupils will visit their next school once in the Summer Term prior to starting full time in the September. For Annie this would not have been enough. For the Summer Term in Year 6 Annie was taken to her secondary school every fortnight. Trips to the secondary school meant that Annie began to know her way around and could locate toilets easily. She began to understand where her tutor group was based and where it was in relation to other rooms. She stayed for lunch a few times so that she could experience the lunchtime rituals of queuing up at the canteen, choosing a lunch or a snack, paying at the till etc. Her visits also meant that the school were better prepared for September. For instance, the canteen staff were made aware that Annie had difficulty counting money and were asked to support her in this. The caretaker was introduced to Annie and made aware that when she is feeling anxious she might run away or hide. This
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meant that he would feel better equipped to cope should he find Annie somewhere out of bounds during the school day. The bus drivers were introduced to Annie and again briefed on what she can and cannot cope with and also informed of her tendency to be silly and excitable when on a bus and how they should deal with this. This programme of visits undertaken by the Outreach team was felt by staff and parents and indeed Annie herself to have alleviated some of the anxieties felt by the transition to secondary school. Annie had a good first term at her Secondary School and made pleasing progress. However, as time passed, it became apparent that Annie was beginning to find her feet and was becoming rude and badly behaved at times. There were problems in food technology when Annie refused to wash up. She began to wander around school pretending she was lost and playing games with staff who did not know her very well. Annie had started taking pens and pencils that did not belong to her. Annie was not taking care with her hygiene particularly when she was menstruating. The Senco called on the Outreach team for some extra support which we were happy to provide. It seemed that there were a mixture of problems that were hindering Annies progress: Some members of staff had never met, let alone taught, a pupil with Downs syndrome and, as a result, were being far too easy on Annie and giving her no real boundaries. Rather than having one TA which she was used to at Primary School, Annie now had 5 different TAs who she sometimes played off against one another. Annie was becoming extremely tired by the middle of a half term and her behaviour deteriorated at this time with Annie often becoming tearful and rude. Annies form tutor felt there was a lack of communication amongst staff and parents.

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As Annies Outreach teacher, I was able to provide some help in solving these issues. First of all I spoke to Annies mother. We had an informal chat which led to her requesting a meeting with me. We met the following day and she was particularly pleased to have a forum to discuss issues without feeling she was insulting the Secondary School. I suggested that Annie have a shorter week once a month as she becomes so tired and emotional, often around the time of her period. Mum agreed to keep her at home on a Friday and a Monday to ensure 2 shorter weeks. Often parents feel that an Outreach worker understands the needs of their child and is a neutral person with whom to discuss anxieties. I made a list of concerns that were bothering Annies parents. I then set up a meeting with all of Annies TAs, the Senco, the form tutor and the Year head. We discussed many things and set up a "programme" to assist Annie. This comprised of a home/school liaison book that any member of staff could write in to make positive as well as negative comments. This would
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mean that all staff and parents could easily see at a glance how Annies day had gone. I explained to staff that Annies parents were extremely concerned about Annies behaviour and that they wanted her to be treated like any other pupil. In fact they were astonished that Annie had never had a detention! This came as a surprise to staff who felt Annie should be treated differently and be excused for inappropriate behaviour at times. I suggested I ran a twilight session for staff about dealing with pupils with Downs syndrome and this was received enthusiastically. (38 members of staff attended the course I held a fortnight later.) An information sheet was handed out to all staff explaining how Annie must be dealt with if she behaves inappropriately. This was to ensure continuity for Annie as well as helping staff: Annie is to be treated like other pupils. Please send her to Senior Staff if she does not comply with you. If she refuses to comply send for Senior Staff in the usual way. Use your voice! Annie will respond to a firm tone with no "flowery" language. If you see Annie in the corridor please challenge her and send her to lessons. If she ignores you or is rude, immediately tell her form tutor who will make a note in the home-school book. Use the home-school book to keep everyone including Annie informed of positive and negative incidents. Be generous when giving homework. Differentiated homework is a must. If anybody wants extra advice on strategies and ideas Annies Outreach teacher is here every Thursday lunchtime. Use her! Annie needs suitable, structured, visual resources so that she can be successful. The Learning Support Department can help you. We are also able to borrow helpful resources from Bishopswood Special School via Outreach.

The school also set up a buddy system so that an older pupil could seek Annie out at times to ensure she was having no problems. The older, responsible pupil also collected Annie from her last lesson and walked her to the bus each afternoon. By the time Annie had been in Year 8 for half a term things had dramatically improved. Staff felt more informed and it was agreed that all NQTs should meet with me at the start of each academic year for some advice on teaching and including pupils with Downs syndrome appropriately. Annie was remembering her PE kit each week, her homeschool book was working well and her rudeness had curbed dramatically.

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c) Devon Inclusion Project
By Sarah Kehayah, Inclusion Facilitator, KEVICCS, for Devon Inclusion Project, Totnes. Over the last 4 years, students from Bidwell Brook Special School, Dartington, have been experiencing inclusion in a mainstream school through link placements. Each year, 5 or 6 of the secondary aged students with severe learning difficulties take part in mainstream lessons at King Edward VI Community College, (KEVICCS), Totnes an 1800 student College about one and a half miles away. Students are included from maybe one hour once a week up to two days. The subject range accessed by pupils with Downs syndrome has been wide PE/dance, drama, art, music, technology textiles, food, resistant materials, electronics. We have tended not to include in the high literacy subjects. This in part is due to maintaining curriculum balance. One student with Downs syndrome who is in mainstream full time, however, is thriving and making definite progress in many different ways. The challenge always is to ensure social inclusion, curriculum balance and access to the curriculum. Social inclusion is supported in the College by a Circle of Friends group. It is also supported in lessons by peer supported learning and peer modelling. On occasions it is the included student with Downs syndrome who is able to model for the rest of the group what action/activity needs to take place. Curriculum balance for link placements is tricky given the rigidity and complexity of mainstream timetabling, but with great care and attention to student strengths it is possible to work within tolerable limits. The benefits for personal development, through independence in a large community setting, and the social contact in mainstream is seen as significant. Accessing the curriculum is made possible by differentiation through modification of materials and tasks. Differentiation by outcome is to be avoided at all costs though sometimes it is difficult not to. In many subject areas we have created a range of re-usable resources with a strong emphasis on visual and kinaesthetic learning. In practice, about a third of mainstream students have also benefited from such materials being available.

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Inclusion remains a contentious issue with feelings running high in both camps. When it works well and is handled constructively and consistently it enriches everyone. Making it work well is hard graft. It involves co-operation and flexibility as well as dealing with problems rather than hoping they will go away. It also involves everyone in the college and special school community. It is not the sole responsibility of
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any one person but an attitude of mind in all strata of the teaching and learning community. Case Study One link placement involved a year 7 student who was included into music and drama once a week in a receiving group of about 22 year 7 students. The group were briefed about the student before the inclusion began and they were encouraged to be welcoming and friendly as a first step. After a few weeks of ease, the difficulties began to emerge as both parties thawed out and dropped their best behaviour!! The included student became overly familiar and a bit touchy feely which for adolescents is a big deal. A hug from your mate is one thing but from someone you dont really know and are unsure of is not. Holding hands is for very particular people in your life! and body contact generally is a source of anxiety (if not welcome!). The mainstream students became embarrassed and frustrated at not knowing what to do. We sanctioned the class to use a hand signal to the adults in the room if at any time they felt they were unable to sort out a difficulty by themselves. We also briefed them that if the included student behaved in a way they found awkward, to react constructively rather than in an aggressive way "I dont like it when you do that"; "Try and do this"; "Let me show you what to do". Stickers were used (for all the students in the group) as a positive reinforcement of appropriate interaction. When the included student became excited (or unsure of what he was meant to be doing) his behaviour often became boisterous. We used yellow and red cards as visual cues (accompanied by verbal instruction) that a bit more calm was required! This had two knock on effects: the mainstream students asked if the yellow and red card system could be used to help them!! and it also alerted us that we needed to take action if there was lack of clarity about what to do. To be able to join in the lesson required the included student to work in a variety of ways: either as part of a whole group activity led from the front (warm up exercises at the start of the lesson), on an individual directed task or in small groups of five or six with members of the group sometimes interacting and sometimes not, discussing how to do the task set, delegating roles in the group, rehearsing and performing and so on... It was in this latter situation that difficulties arose. To not be part of the activity from a drama point of view was not an option, nor would that be very inclusive! Access was ensured by: Modifying the activity to a familiar subject eg Mr Benn and robots Setting manageable tasks for the included student

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Encouraging the other group members to be clear in their communication Modelling where the TA and the included student worked together as one member of the group. Progression to peer modelling where a group member took on the modelling role rather than the TA

d) From Special to specialist: a case study.

By Anne Hutchinson, Deputy Head of Hedgewood School, Hillingdon. Background Hedgewood School is the London Borough of Hillingdons primary school for children with moderate learning difficulties, and is funded for up to 90 children. Like most MLD schools, its intake has become steadily more complex in the last few years, and the learning profiles of most children are complicated by medical, sensory, emotional or communication difficulties. About 10% of its children have Downs syndrome. Hedgewood received very good Ofsted reports in both 1997 and 2002, the latter highlighting the quality of input the school makes to the inclusive agenda, both within Hillingdon and beyond. Hedgewoods approach has always been to share the knowledge and skills we have and to encourage mainstream colleagues to adapt and develop them in ways that suit their own particular needs. This also prevents us being seen in a patronising role as the expert and encourages collaborative relationships between mainstream and special personnel. Until about three years ago, Hedgewood made virtually no input into mainstream schools as discrete institutions, but teachers were often inundated with requests for advice when they went on LEA curriculum courses. More recently, however, a number of areas of expertise that we had developed in order to improve the quality of teaching and learning in our own school became desirable commodities in mainstream education as the inclusive agenda in Hillingdon became more clearly focused. These included Signalong, IT, meeting the needs of children with a variety of syndromes and conditions known to affect learning, promoting good behaviour in children with special needs and differentiation. Shortly afterwards, we started to receive requests from schools to run curriculum courses and for advice about meeting the needs of individual pupils with a variety of special needs. Schools, where one of our staff had gone to visit pupils likely to transfer to us, recognised their advice as valuable and started asking for similar input about children likely to remain in mainstream but whose needs were more significant than they were accustomed to.
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Once we had started to do this kind of work the message quickly spread, and it seemed a good idea to resurrect the Resource Centre plan we had proposed some years before. Initially, we carried out an informal internal audit to identify both areas of expertise and people able and willing to provide INSET. Once this was done, and we had a clear idea of what we could actually offer mainstream schools, we consulted with staff, governors and parents to ascertain their views. Although all parties were very supportive of initiatives that could promote inclusion, there were various areas of concern that we had to address. All three parties were concerned that the quality of provision for Hedgewoods own pupils might be diluted, and a very clear commitment was made that they would always have priority over commitments outside the school. The governors and some parents and staff were concerned about overwork, and as far as possible, we have compensated staff either by time in lieu or financial arrangements. Some staff wanted training, and we were able to arrange focussed training in presentation skills. A few staff were concerned that they might feel duty-bound to be involved in this work when they felt they didnt want to be, and they were reassured that they would not be placed under pressure. We then put together a Beacon bid, which, though unsuccessful, became the basis for the way we have developed. Supporting inclusion Our aims during the last three years have been as follows: 1. To develop expertise in meeting the needs of our changing population. One aspect of this, Signalong, is now a major way we promote inclusion within the LEA. 2. To provide quality INSET at the Teachers Centre, at Hedgewood and in individual schools covering both curriculum areas and aspects of special needs. 3. To offer research and work experience placements to students and professionals with an interest in special needs. 4. To provide an Outreach service to mainstream schools which focuses on meeting the needs of individual SEN children with a view to retaining them within mainstream. The first aim increases the inclusion of children with very complex needs within the LEA rather than being sent out of borough, while the others increase the retention and inclusion of children with special needs within their local, mainstream setting.

Our ongoing determination to improve our expertise in meeting the needs of our changing population has focused on children on the autistic
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1)To develop expertise in meeting the needs of our changing population.

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spectrum and/or with speech, language and communication difficulties. The two aspects we have focused on have been methodology and differentiation, which has enhanced our ability to provide a service to mainstream schools which focuses on meeting the needs of individual SEN children with a view to retaining them within mainstream and augmentative communication. Augmentative communication We decided to become a signing-friendly school because we were moving from having the odd child coming in using Makaton to a situation where the majority of our younger children required augmentative communication if they were to learn effectively. Having looked carefully at both Makaton and Signalong, we opted for the latter because we felt it provided better opportunities for MLD children with significant language problems. Shortly afterwards, Hillingdon as an LEA also opted for Signalong as its official signing language. Our original intention was that all members of staff would have basic signing skills in order to allow signing children full access to the daily life of the school, and then to train certain class teams to a higher level. However, we soon realised that at some point all classes would have a need for signing as part of classroom practice, and that the scale of training needed was therefore bigger than we had expected. This was the point at which we decided to train some colleagues as Signalong trainers, and now have three teachers and our senior Teaching Assistant (all members of SMT) as fully qualified to teach level 1. This meant that we could both keep the standards of practice within the current staff high and train new staff effectively. We hoped to offer some training to people outside the school, but had no idea of the scale of demand from parents, teachers and other professionals. We run several 12- hour courses each year, and all are over subscribed. Access has been enhanced by the provision of courses both inside the school day and as twilights, and by the provision of a crche for the children of course participants. Some of these children have had very significant special needs, and parents have found childcare arrangements very hard. Feedback shows that these courses are very highly regarded and have made a real difference to both the home and school lives of children with a wide variety of special needs, especially those with Downs syndrome or with complex patterns of need on the autistic spectrum. A further consequence has been that some parents of children with very complex needs have seen a good special school in action. They are now comforted by the knowledge that there is a really viable alternative to mainstream if they ever feel that that is how their childrens needs might be better met at some point in their childrens education. We know that several children have actually come to Hedgewood as a result of this.
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2) To provide quality INSET As well as the INSET in Signalong, we provide quality INSET in a number of other ways. Information technology Hedgewood has always had a real commitment to the use of IT. All teachers have completed NOF training and have considerable expertise in the use of Publisher, Word, PowerPoint, Clicker, Widget and the use of interactive whiteboards and we have three Widget trainers. All of this was designed to provide our children with effective strategies and materials to support learning and personal IT skills. As a spin-off from this, we have provided several INSET courses in Clicker for mainstream teachers and teaching assistants. However, our main inclusive effort has come from two colleagues, who have, between them, acted as NOF mentors for several hundred mainstream and special school teachers. This has been mainly online, but involved some training sessions in schools as well. Input into certificated courses Our main input into certificated courses (other than Signalong) is with teaching assistants. Two current teaching assistants are CLANSA assessors and offer a lot of support in developing the inclusive practice of their candidates. Training about Assessment is provided in both CLANSA and STAC courses, ensuring that the whole ability range, including children assessed by P scales, is covered. Also provided is a session on differentiation for an OCN-validated course run by Hillingdon and supported by the Downs Syndrome Association, which attracts a mixture of LEA advisors, mainstream and special teachers and teaching assistants from both Hillingdon and further afield. Curriculum-based INSET It is the aim of all curriculum co-ordinators to keep abreast of their subject and to build links with mainstream colleagues and with LEA advisors and INSET providers. As a result of our ability to demonstrate good primary practice through these contacts, Hedgewood staff have been invited to provide a considerable amount of INSET at the Teachers Centre and at some local schools. Few of these subject-based sessions have been specifically designated as inclusive, but we have adopted the policy of weaving an inclusive approach into all of them so that inclusion becomes viewed as a natural part of the educational process rather than a bolted-on afterthought. We also provide a handbook of inclusive access strategies entitled Tricks of the Trade when we run courses, and we have had very positive feedback about it.

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More than half the curriculum courses we provide are about primary Science, while the rest include IT, Mathematics, Literacy and History. Such courses have been provided to Hillingdon mainstream teachers, OTT and GTP teacher, TTA-funded returnees courses and PGCE students. Many of these people come from outside our own LEA and thus we are able to disseminate inclusive practice further afield. INSET focusing on Special Needs Some of this has been a general introduction to special needs, but most has dealt with differentiation. Some years ago, we broke down all curricular areas into very detailed tables we called curriculum maps. These show continuity and progression from a true W1 to level 3, and extending in some subjects to level 5. The W1 is roughly P7/8. Much of our INSET is based on these materials, because they form a powerful tool for planning across the whole ability range in mainstream primary schools. These materials are available to anybody who wants them, which means that we are able to promote inclusive practice by providing tools for inclusive planning. We are currently setting up a similar system for P5-level 1, which will overlap with our current system. 3) To offer research and work experience placements We provide opportunities for people on a variety of courses including CLANSA, NVQs A Levels, medical courses, first and higher degrees and PGCE. We have also had a number of visitors through the TTA Open Schools scheme and have a constant stream of teachers and teaching assistants from mainstream. Each placement is very carefully discussed with the visitors concerned to help create a programme tailor-made for each visitor. We have to consider the impact on our children and teaching personnel of all these visitors, and do not place them in certain classes, where there are ASD children who are very easily unsettled, without very careful preparation including the use of photographs prior to the visit. We have also had a number of overseas visitors, who are generally focused on comparative studies of SEN education. 4) To provide an Outreach service to mainstream schools At present we offer advice for children who: Are dyslexic Have syndromes known to affect learning Are on the autistic spectrum Have moderate learning difficulties

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We also act as a first port of call when schools realise they are working with a child who is experiencing difficulties in learning, but are not sure what the source of the problem is.

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This work is very time consuming and means a lot of time out of class, and this is an issue that needs to be considered when a school works in this kind of way. Our Beacon bid actually included funding for a permanent floating teacher to provide security for classes whose teachers were out of school, and we suspect that the additional expense was a factor in its rejection. Consequently, we do have to limit the work we do in this field and sometimes cannot respond to requests for Outreach as quickly as we would like. Generally, each visit will have been preceded by extensive conversations on the phone, so that we have as clear a picture as possible before we visit. Visits usually last about 2 hours, and are a mixture of classroom observation and activities with the child. There may be more than one such visit. The classroom session is followed by discussion with the class teacher and teaching assistant if there is one. Often, SENCOs and/or deputies/heads join in with this. An extensive written report follows. Depending on the circumstances, return visits may be agreed to see how things are developing. We evaluate the success of each Outreach package both by verbal feedback and by questionnaire. Hedgewoods next steps Our next step is to become established as a CAP centre. CAP is the Communication Aids Project, initially running for two years and funded by the DFES via BECTa. It targets any children who have difficulties that affect communication e.g. hearing, speech and language, visual, ASD, physical and medical conditions. It aims to provide supportive technology, usually in the form of software to enhance the use of hardware supplied by LEAs. The result will be that mainstream schools will have access to a resource/assessment centre that can provide them with technological aids that either they are not aware of or cannot realistically afford, together with appropriate training. This helps include children in mainstream school by providing them with opportunities to use up-todate equipment and software, and thus access the curriculum in ways appropriate to their needs. Hedgewood itself will benefit by promoting inclusion within mainstream sessions, thus enhancing its specialist school role, and by acquiring expertise that will be of value to its own children. Expenses will be covered, but it is non-profit making. Conclusion We feel very positive about our future role as both a special school for children with complex patterns of learning and as a resource for the promotion of inclusive practice within mainstream schools.

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e) HAYBRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL SUNFIELD, Clent, Worcestershire
Lesley Ross, Deputy Head teacher Sunfield is a residential Special school, situated in 60 acres of beautiful parkland, on the edge of a village. Fortunately, we are on the edge of the Birmingham conurbation, so we are able to take advantage of a wide variety of local facilities. Of particular significance has been our association with schools in the local area. Haybridge High School, a large and thriving secondary school, just three miles away, has proved to be a valuable link. In 1999 we managed a very successful social integration project, with a group of students in the first year of the sixth form, over the course of the summer term. There were several different activities for the groups to do Art and Craft, Stable Management and Riding, and using the Trails packs written to provide a focus for activities in the grounds. It was a wonderful, warm summer of blue skies and sunshine, and a tremendously successful project. One of the relationships between the students has endured, and although both have now left school and gone their separate ways, they are still in contact with one another. Others from the Haybridge cohort have returned to us for Work Experience, or just a visit on one of our Open days. With the advent of the national drive for secondary schools to specialise, during the year of 2000, Haybridge High School put together a bid to become a Technology College with a strong emphasis on ICT. A significant part of their bid included their proposals for associations with organisations in the local community. This included a commitment to train Sunfield staff, and to work with Sunfield students to achieve ASDAN qualifications. In the Spring Term of 2002 the first group of sixteen Sunfield staff successfully completed a three day training programme, devised by Haybridge, to upgrade their computer skills. Every year another sixteen will be provided for. The following term, a group of Sunfield students from our Key Stage 4 and Further Education classes began weekly ICT sessions with four Haybridge High School students in Haybridges up-to-date and well equipped ICT suite. The Sunfield students were more able, already had some computer skills, and they enjoyed using the computer.

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Introductions began at Sunfield, where the Haybridge students listened to a short talk about the nature of disability, about the Sunfield students and a brief overview of specific teaching strategies and organisation responses used at Sunfield. They were shown around the school by their Sunfield counterparts, and then they joined in with an afternoons
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activities, before having a cup of tea and a slice of a specially baked cake! It was understood from the outset that the friendships that we hoped would develop could not be directed but would evolve so there was no attempt at putting the students together in pairs. The students from Haybridge High School were in the first year of the Sixth form, and decided that they would like to work with students from Sunfield, because they understand and applaud the principles behind an inclusive society, but had very few opportunities to make contact with people outside their own social circle. They were at the stage when they were beginning to think about their career paths, and were exploring the possibilities of working with people. All struck a very good balance with Sunfield students. They were not patronising, and they did not try to help too much. They were friendly, but not too exuberant or excitable. They were excellent role models for the Sunfield cohort. ICT Link between Sunfield and Haybridge High School

The aim was for Sunfield students to achieve the ASDAN Towards Independence award Using a Computer but as important to us was the social interaction between Sunfield students and their peers from Haybridge.
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Before the first session began, a member of staff from Sunfield met with Matt, Claudia and Dave from Haybridge, introduced them to the ASDAN scheme, and planned the first morning. They planned an informal, social occasion. Sunfield students would introduce themselves not only by name, but also using finger spelling. Matt, Claudia and Dave would show the Sunfield students around their school. One or two break the ice party games were played - all to help the students to get to know each other, before the work towards accreditation started.

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Towards Independence is designed for use by students in Further Education. Each module stands alone, unlike some of the other ASDAN schemes (such as The Youth award Scheme) which builds up to an award. To achieve a Towards Independence module, students builds up a portfolio of evidence, showing how they have achieved the things the module requires. It is acknowledged that different students need different levels of support, and this may vary according to the activity. Students and their tutors must identify the level of support that has been needed for each activity, and ASDAN supplies coloured stickers for this purpose. When all the work has been completed, the student is asked to identify which level of support has been used the most, and that is what is recorded on the Certificate. Levels of Support are: NH No Help you can do things on your own

SH Spoken/Signed Help - you are helped by someone speaking or signing suggestions to you GH Gestural Help you are helped by someone using hand signals or other gestural prompts you are helped by someone holding you and/or helping you to move

PH Physical Help -

SE Sensory Experience - you are given the opportunity of being involved through a sensory experience e.g. hearing, touch, sight or taste ER Experience Recorded - you are provided with the experience of the activity but are unable to take part.

Evidence for the accreditation has to be collected to show how the students have achieved the activities. The evidence can be in the form of: Pictures Photographs Video Audiotape Computer Or other means.
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Matt and Claudia and Dave were invited to have a think about how evidence could be gathered. A digital camera was available, and we were able to ask Graeme to identify parts of the computer by pointing to them. He was used to having his photograph taken, and was happy to pose for the camera. Other evidence was gathered by using catalogues from shops selling computers, and cutting out pictures, and labelling the parts required. Graeme likes overwriting so he wrote the names of the parts of the computer beside the pictures. After the first two sessions this promises to be a most successful link. The students are beginning to form a real bond, and are working alongside each other as equals. Sunfield students are having the opportunity to jostle in the corridors of a busy High school, as they make their way to the Hall for their break Haybridge students are dispelling myths and fears about people with learning difficulties, and relating to them as one young person to another. By the end of the year they are confident that the accreditation goal will be achieved.

Claudia and Craig, Matt and Graeme.

Lesley Ross Deputy Headteacher Sunfield Clent Worcestershire

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Contacts Anne Hutchinson Deputy Head Hedgewood School Weymouth Rd Hayes Middlesex UB4 8NF Te. 0208 8456756 Fax 0208 841 3549 Sarah Kehaya Devon Inclusion Project Inclusion Facilitator King Edward V1 Community College Ashburton Rd, Totnes, Devon. Tel. 01803 869200 Lesley Ross, Deputy Headteacher Sunfield School Clent Stourbridge, Worcestershire, DY9 9PB Tel. 01562 882253 Jenny Wager, Headteacher, Sarah Mitson, Outreach Teacher Bishopswood School Grove Rd Sonning Common Oxon RG4 9RJ Tel 0118 9724311 Fax 0118 972 1019

Useful Reading 1. Special School Working Group Report (2003) DfES. 2. Tilstone, C., Florian, L. & Rose, R. (1998) Promoting Inclusive Practice. Routledge. 3. Removing Barriers to Achievement, the Governments Strategy for SEN 2004. (DfES/0117/2004).

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Downs Syndrome Association 2003 All rights reserved Any part of this publication may be reproduced and distributed free for educational purposes so long as the source is acknowledged. Commercial reproduction requires the written permission of the Downs Syndrome Association.

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Unit 3: Planning for Teaching and Learning

a) The Learning Profile of children with Downs syndrome.
Children with Downs syndrome are not simply developmentally delayed, but have a specific learning profile with characteristic strengths and weaknesses. For example, Wang (1996) showed physical differences in the brains of youngsters with Downs syndrome that can help to explain specific weaknesses in certain verbal skills and activities and relative strengths in visual-motor skills. When planning and differentiating programmes of work, the characteristic learning profile, together with individual needs and variations within that profile, must be considered and matched to the subject matter.

HOW DOWNS SYNDROME AFFECTS LEARNING Problems in being understood Gross Handwriting Word finding motor Word finding difficulties problems difficulties Difficulties in Fine Dressing Language following motor problems delay instructions problems Limited understanding Weak auditory memory CHILD Short attention span Hearing problems Confusion over school rules Clumsiness

Problems with maths

Visual problems Difficulties with phonics Problems in accessing school resources

Immature social skills

1. Strong visual awareness and visual learning skills. The ability to learn and use sign, gesture and visual support. The ability to learn to read and to use the written word.
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The following factors are typical of many, not all, children with Downs syndrome. Each has implications for their education and learning.

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2. The desire and ability to learn from their peers, to imitate and take their cue from them. 3. Delayed motor skills, fine and gross, due to poor muscle tone (hypotonia) and loose ligaments. Delay is particularly apparent in the early years and can affect cognitive development. However, with additional help and support, problems often tend to improve by the age of 10 years. 4. Visual impairments, with 60-70% being prescribed glasses before the age of seven. 5. Auditory impairments, with up to 20% having a sensorineural loss, caused by developmental defects in the ear and auditory nerves. Over 50% are likely to suffer from a conductive hearing loss due to glue ear caused by frequent upper respiratory tract infections which often occur as a result of smaller sinuses and ear canals. Clarity in hearing due to glue ear can fluctuate daily. 6. Speech and language delay. Problems with articulation, comprehension, expression and learning grammar. Receptive skills, however, are greater than expressive skills. As a result of language delay, thinking and reasoning skills are inevitably affected, making it more difficult to make generalisations, to transfer skills from one situation to another or to make decisions and choices. In addition, grasping abstract concepts and problem solving abilities may be affected. 7. Poor short-term auditory memory, causing difficulties with processing, storing and retaining verbal information. Any deficit in short-term auditory memory will greatly affect pupils ability to respond to the spoken word or learn from any situation entirely reliant on their auditory skills. 8. Weak consolidation, retention and concentration span. Pupils with Downs syndrome generally have short concentration spans, take time to learn and to consolidate new skills, and their ability to retain new learning can fluctuate from day to day. In addition, many are passive learners and the consolidation of new skills may be compromised by poor motivation, avoidance strategies or inconsistent performance. Research has shown that some pupils with Downs syndrome tend to make poor use of acquired skills and in fact have higher levels of ability than they generally exhibit.

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9. Sensitivity to failure. Many pupils are sensitive to failure and can, therefore, be unwilling to tackle new tasks. In addition, some may have particular difficulty in correcting wrong responses once a mistake has been made and highlighted.
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b) Classroom planning and IEPs.
In developing an appropriate programme for the student with Downs syndrome, teachers need to combine information they receive from parents, colleagues and other professionals with observation of the student in the classroom, their response to the teaching programme offered and the results of any more formalised assessment procedures. By using all four sources of information, the class teacher should be able to build up a picture of: 1) the childs language and communication skills, 2) their gross and fine motor skills, 3) their literacy skills, 4) their numeracy skills. In addition they should be aware of: 5) the students individual learning style, 6) their ability to function independently, 7) their social skills and ability to form relationships, 8) their level of inclusion in the life of the school. This information should then form the basis of the students Individual Education Plan, with targets being selected from at least six of the eight areas described above. All adults involved in delivering the students programme should be involved in drawing up the IEP. At regular intervals the IEP should be reviewed to ensure that: 1) The targets are still appropriate and the interventions still effective, 2) attention is being paid to social as well as curricular goals, 3) the student is becoming more independent as well as more skilled, 4) staff are becoming increasingly confident in meeting the students needs. While each school or LEA will have their preferred model for IEPs, some examples are appended which may prove useful. (See Appendix 1).

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c) Using support staff effectively
To help children learn, it is important that teaching assistants are never asked to take responsibility for teaching new skills without appropriate training and support. Instead they should see themselves as members of a working team. Where two or more adults are working with all the students in the class, adult roles should be clearly defined to ensure that all students receive attention on a regular basis. Without this, as research has shown, the presence of the additional adults is of little benefit to the teacher or the children. In some cases it can even be counterproductive, for example giving undue attention to children behaving inappropriately. In some special school settings, children with Downs syndrome are amongst the most able and present relatively few behaviour problems. There is a danger, therefore, that their needs will be neglected in favour of students with more significant difficulties. Systems such as room management can help overcome some of these problems by ensuring that each student receives input on a daily basis from the member of staff designated as the individual worker, knowing that the needs of the other pupils will be attended to by the activity manager or the mover. Whatever the system used, support staff should liaise regularly with the class teacher and provide feedback on the childs response to the curriculum.They should set high expectations and refuse to accept immature or silly behaviour. To overcome memory problems, they should remind the child regularly about school and class rules. Interactions with peers providing good models of behaviour should be fostered and other children encouraged to tell the child when they dont like their behaviour. To facilitate the formation of friendships, teaching assistants should give the child opportunities to interact without close adult supervision. No Velcrod assistants please. To help the child become more independent, teaching assistants need to allow children to make mistakes and then try to solve their own problems before seeking help. They should avoid being a helicopter, hovering over the child in case they have any problems.

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They should give children responsibilities within the classroom and encourage them to see themselves as capable and independent members of the class. Where the child has come from a mainstream setting they may need help in adjusting to being one of a group, rather than having their own individualised support.
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THE ROLE OF THE TEACHING ASSISTANT Should decrease as child gains in independence. In-class support Small group work One to one teaching Should increase as curriculum becomes more complex. Liaison & planning Preparation of teaching Assessment & record keeping

d) Differentiating learning experiences

John Visser defines differentiation as "the process whereby teachers meet the need for progress through the curriculum by selecting appropriate teaching methods to match an individual childs learning strategies, within a group situation" Differentiation is thus an integral part of effective teaching practice for all pupils, enabling them to work at their own level and pace, make progress and achieve. It requires an understanding and awareness of individual differences between pupils and the implications of these differences in terms of access to the curriculum. Differentiation is by no means a simple business. It calls for the modification of curriculum objectives and learning outcomes, of activities, resources and forms of assessment. Each needs to be matched to the pupils individual abilities and needs, strengths and weaknesses, learning styles, aptitudes and developmental stage. The temptation is to look for a single solution e.g. focusing solely on the ability of the child. Attention is paid to the pupils level of attainment and the content of the lesson simplified accordingly. However little thought is given to how the pupil learns most effectively. When differentiating the curriculum for a pupil with learning difficulties, how the content is delivered is at least as important as the content itself. Effective differentiation aims to use the pupils strengths and learning styles, while taking into account their areas of weakness and developmental stage. A flexible approach is, therefore, required.

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By the time pupils reach Key Stage 4, the issue of curriculum access becomes even more problematic and schools may need to focus increasingly on vocational skills, independence and social competence. There is a tension, however, between these aims and the need to relate pupil progress to achievement in the National Curriculum. There is a minimum that all teachers should expect any pupil to experience, giving them some relevant understanding of the subject as well as useful skills. This means there must be a fine balance between the subject content in a lesson or activity and the pupils individual needs. Not all children will be matching national curriculum descriptions of performance. The P scales are designed to be used for pupils working below National Curriculum Level 1 and can be used to measure pupil performance and attainment by providing a framework against which progress can be matched. Performance criteria for attainment below National Curriculum Level are found in the DfES/QCA guidance Planning, teaching and assessing the curriculum for pupils with learning difficulties and relate to pupils aged five to sixteen who are unlikely to achieve above level 2 at key stage 4. These subject based guidelines help develop and plan an inclusive curriculum in all schools and assess and recognise attainment. As the DfES/QCA note in these guidelines: "All pupils should be provided with opportunities to acquire, develop, practice, apply and extend their skills in a range of contexts across the curriculum. These skills will also be relevant to life and learning outside and beyond the school". For many pupils, choosing programmes of study and performance descriptions from earlier key stages may be more appropriate in order for them to demonstrate attainment and make progress. This can be achieved by mapping the programmes of study and level descriptions down the key stages to suit a childs particular level of access and understanding, can clarify how the main objectives of a particular activity can be re-interpreted to allow the child to demonstrate the level at which they are working. Effective curriculum planning builds upon previous progress, learning and attainment, to promote future progress, learning and attainment. Plans should thus show progression. However, progression for some pupils is not always hierarchical but lateral, focusing upon learning to perform the same skills but in a range of contexts. This is particularly important for pupils with Downs syndrome who can have particular difficulties with generalising and transferring skills. Mapping across the levels in different subjects to reinforce the development of particular concepts and skills can therefore be especially helpful.
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Examples of Curriculum Mapping

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Science Life Processes Level W Introduce the words "alive" relating to self, then animals, plants & "not alive" relating to inanimate objects e.g chair. People & pets need food & plants need water to stay alive. To name basic parts of plant - "flower" / "leaves". Level 1 Understand the words "alive" and "not alive" relating to self, then animals, plants and to inanimate objects e.g chair. Simple identifiers of being alive e.g movement and death. Natural objects e.g stones, rain have never been alive. Plants & animals die if they do not get the things they need. Learn additional parts of plants roots, etc. Level 2 Begin to use less obvious identifiers to being alive breathing, growing, reacting to light, reproduction. Many familiar objects are "dead" but originated in living thing. Plants need food, air & water. Living things benefit from warmth & shelter. Level 3 Use less obvious identifiers of being alive breathing, growing, reacting to light, reproduction. Plants/animals need air & food to make energy to live and excrete waste. Level 4 & 5 Food respiration in humans. Photosynthesis in green plants.

Further examples of Curriculum Mapping can be found in Appendix 2.

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Key principles forDIFFERENTIATION differentation KEY PRINCIPLES FOR
CONTENT + Decide upon the main focus you wish the pupil to learn. + Look at level descriptors below the standard key stage and at programmes of study from earlier key stages to give you ideas. + Check content relates to previously acquired knowledge & skills. + Try to reflect points from the pupils IEP. + Ensure you provide opportunities for pupils personal skills, such as independence & cooperation with peers, to be developed APPROACH & CONTEXT + Ensure learning objectives are broken down into small steps. + Ensure they are clearly focused & short + Use familiar & meaningful material. + Build in additional repetition & reinforcement. + Choose appropriate contexts- whole class, small group or partner. + Choose appropriate level of support- TA, peer or teacher. + Consider learning outcomes at the same time as planning tasks. PRESENTATION + Remember pupils learn best through a multi-sensory approach- seeing, copying, doing, feeling. + Present all work visually- print, diagrams, pictures, symbols. + Ensure oral instructions are reinforced visually. + Use concrete & practical materials whenever possible. + Use simple & familiar language. Keep instructions short & concise. + Teach key words & subject specific vocabulary. RESPONSE & ASSESSMENT + Ensure that the methods of response expected are realistic & appropriate. + Provide alternative means of recording- computer, dictaphone, pictures, digital camera, flash cards or stickers. + Look at level descriptors below the standard range for the key stage. + Provide lists of words within the pupils sight vocabulary, including key words, to aid free writing. + Decide how progress will be monitored and recorded.

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Finally and most importantly, pupils with Downs syndrome characteristically rely on their visual learning skills rather than their auditory skills. Poor short term auditory memory, poor auditory discrimination and possibly a fluctuating hearing loss, all combine to make learning by auditory means alone very difficult. On the other hand, the combination of strong visual skills with the ability to read, means that, using simple, clear and meaningful text and/or symbols with clear pictures or diagrams for reinforcement, can be extremely useful. They need a visual, practical and kinesthetic approach, using real life, concrete and practical materials.

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In preparing worksheets for a student with Downs syndrome the following tips, adapted from Lewis, may be helpful. 1. Use meaningful material within or close to the pupils experience. 2. Introduce new concepts in a familiar context. 3. Make the tasks self contained. 4. Provide plenty of visual clues - words, symbols, pictures, diagrams. 5. Ensure illustrations tie in closely with text and task. 6. Give plenty of opportunities for success. 7. Use the pupils feedback to decide whether or not the worksheet fulfils your educational aims and objectives. 8. Supplement the worksheet with a taped version of the task instructions, which the pupil can play for reinforcement. 9. If possible try out several different versions of the same worksheet to discover what works best for the individual pupil. 10. Differentiate clearly between text and illustrations. 11. Leave a wide border all round the edge of the page. 12. Highlight and explain key words and any that are new to the pupil. 13. Illustrate key words if possible. 14. Use type or print, not handwriting. 15. Use subheadings to break down and structure the written sheet. 16. Use a simple uncluttered layout. Too busy a page causes confusion. 17. Break up continuous text. Highlight instructions in some way: in a box, particular font or colour. 18. Use coloured as well as white paper, both for variety and to help the pupil distinguish one subject area from another.

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19. Use simple and familiar language. Keep sentences short and concise. 20. Avoid ambiguous words. Use active rather than passive verbs.
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Example of Worksheets

Useful Reading Carpenter, B. (2001) Enabling Access, Effective Teaching and Learning for Pupils with Learning Difficulties. 2nd Edition. David Fulton. DfES/QCA (2001), Planning, teaching and assessing the curriculum for pupils with learning difficulties, Wang, P. P. (1996) A neuropsychological profile of Down syndrome: cognitive skills and brain morphology. Ment Retard Dev Disabil Res Rev: Down Syndrome 2(2): 102-108 Wishart J.
Downs Syndrome Association 2003 All rights reserved Any part of this publication may be reproduced and distributed free for educational purposes so long as the source is acknowledged. Commercial reproduction requires the written permission of the Downs Syndrome Association.

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Developing gross motor skills in children with Downs syndrome

a) Introduction
The development of motor skills in children with Downs syndrome often lags behind that of typically developing peers. This is mainly due to loose ligaments and low muscle tone (hypotonia). Hypotonia affects all the muscles in the body although this tends to decrease with age. In addition to hypotonia, children with Downs syndrome generally have a number of physical characteristics, which affect the development of dexterity, manipulation and co-ordination, causing delay in the development of both fine and gross motor skills. They have smaller hands and shorter fingers than their typically developing peers; the thumb is often set lower down; and the arms and legs tend to be shorter relative to their torso. The development of motor skills and cognitive skills are inter-related. Improvements in one area will support the other to help the child explore, understand and learn about their environment. Delayed milestones in motor development will inevitably, therefore, limit experiences and have a knock-on effect on the development of cognitive skills. It is important to remember, too, that while the development of fine and gross motor skills can be targeted separately in many situations, they often have a direct influence on each other. For instance, the development of writing skills (a fine motor skill) is actively influenced by the childs ability to sit correctly (a gross motor skill). Therefore, ensuring that the child is in an upright and stable position with feet flat on the floor and the forearm comfortably resting on the desktop is essential before checking that the child is progressing towards using a correct pencil grip rather than continuing to use an early tripod grip. All motor activities, both fine and gross, need to be taught in a structured and systematic way, and children will need additional practice and experiences. In the following sections, Yifat Skehan from Hedgewood School, Hillingdon, Middlesex describes the six areas of motor development and in Appendix 3 details a programme for developing gross motor skills in conjunction with organisational and cognitive skills in children with Downs syndrome.

b) Motor development
By Yifat Skehan, Hedgewood School, Middlesex The process of motor development involves complex changes, where one stage or aspect merges into another. In the first few years, most of the changes in posture and movement appear to follow a broad but orderly predictable sequence, which may be largely due to a dependence on the maturation of the neural system. However, inherited physical and anatomical characteristics, alongside psychological maturation and environmental factors, will influence the mode of motor development and performances. As with all children, those with Downs syndrome have their own unique personalities and characteristics of development. In addition it is likely that they will have some features, which adversely influence motor development such as maturational delay in central nervous system organisation, low muscle tone, and problems within the autonomic postural control system, particularly weight shift, body orientation and balance. 1

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It is clear that an infant with any of these problems can miss achieving some of the essential first phases of motor development, or become stuck at a particular stage. Such delays in motor development can have crucial consequences on sensorymotor aspects of their functioning. Limited spatial exploration due to lateness in rolling, sitting, crawling and walking may cause fine and gross motor problems, as well as inefficient body and spatial awareness, slow motor planning and lack of co-ordination. Any motor programme for children with Downs syndrome will have to assess and target difficulties in a number of areas. It will need to follow the childs normal motor development and to focus on key areas that will enable the child to achieve motor competency as well as working on social, emotional and cognitive aspects of development, through movement. Six crucial areas of motor development, described below, are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Body awareness, Spatial awareness, Balance, Rhythm and movement control, Co-ordination, Basic skills (crawling, walking, running, jumping, swinging, climbing, ball skills).

The programme in Appendix 3 addresses each of these areas and targets the tasks, by breaking them into achievable objectives. The programme also covers all aspects of the national curriculum in P.E. (athletics, gymnastic, ball skill, swimming, dance, outdoor activities, small and big games etc.) in order to expose the children to a wide variety of equipment and skills.

c) Six areas of motor development

1. Body awareness Body awareness is concerned with the knowledge and inner perception of body parts, their location and their function. The awareness will develop in three stages: i). Body parts recognition in self and others. ii). Movement control - how to use specific body parts in order to perform a motor task. iii). Integration of different body parts in order to perform a complex motor task. The first years are the most critical for development of body awareness and body scheme. It is extremely important to expose the child to different sensorymotor activities, to help them become familiar with their own body, to control movement efficiently, and to recognise and accept limitations. Efficient body awareness will contribute to the childs development in other areas: spatial awareness and positional language, co-ordination, crossing the midline, bi-laterality (left & right) etc. 2

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2. Spatial awareness Spatial awareness, in this motor context, is the ability to move efficiently in two types of spaces: The personal space - the space around the body, which can be reached without changing or moving from the support base. The general space is endless and can be limited only by our senses or by objects in it.

Spatial awareness reflects the ability to deal with organising and interpreting the feedback we are getting from our surroundings, and is influenced by many factors e.g. neurological maturation, motor development, general perception, cognitive development and practice of movement in the two spaces. Understanding concepts such as: shape, size, quantity, space, direction, times and speed will help the child in relating to his personal and general space efficiently. Visual perception is essential in order to gain sufficient spatial awareness, and can be separated into 6 main abilities: Constancy perception - constancy of object, shape and size Figure and ground perception the ability to distinguish the figure from the surrounding Whole object versus parts perception the ability to see the whole and the parts Spatial orientation perception the ability to identify placement of objects in space Perception of movement the ability to follow a moving object Depth perception the ability to see things in a three dimensional way

Difficulty in any perceptional area will lead to spatial awareness problems, and can hold back the childs mental and motor development. Focusing work on that subject in relation to movement can improve the childs abilities in that specific area, which will contribute to develop other cognitive abilities such as reading, writing and mathematics. 3. Balance Balance is something we all take for granted when, in reality, it is an extraordinarily complicated system. The brain interprets motion by way of three separate channels of input: The eyes: spatial orientation and postural control, requires spatial interpretation of visual stimulation. The ears: holding the vestibular system that interprets two ways of stability: i). Static - which refer to orientation of the body (mainly the head) relative to the ground (gravity). ii). Dynamic - which is the maintenance of the body position (mainly the head) in response to movements such as rotation, acceleration and deceleration. The vestibular system sends information referring to the horizontal or vertical posture of the body relative to the ground. 3

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The Kinaesthetic and tactile systems: send sensory input of position and movement of parts of the body (along the mid vertical line), and is made possible by receptors in the skeletal muscles, skin, joints and tendons.

The information goes from the three input channels, through the central nervous system, to a part of the brain called the cerebellum which integrates and interprets the information and sends feedback to the different body parts. A dysfunction of any of the systems, or the cerebellum, will show as a balance difficulty. It can be difficult to identify the cause (which system doesnt work properly) so it is important to put the children in different balancing situations (postures, heights, dynamic, static) in order to train the balancing systems and the cerebellum to cope with a large range of possible scenarios that will store in the brain as motor patterns, and will offer the child more than one option of balance related problem solving. 4. Rhythm and movement control Two types of ability measure the rhythmic competence of the individual: Inner rhythm - the ability to keep a movement for some time without losing the inner beat (hopping, skipping, running etc.). Outer rhythm - influenced by a beat from the outside and checking the ability of the individual to move and control his body according to that beat.

Children with rhythm problems will find it difficult to follow and copy a simple beat, to move their body to different speeds of music, to sing a simple tune, and to perform any motor activity more than once or twice, instead of showing flow of movement and persistency (skipping, hopping, running and stopping, etc.). Movement control deals with the ability of the individual to decide how much force, and speed, as well as the right timing and the choice of appropriate body parts that will enable him to make his motor performance as efficient as possible. Motor planning plays a very big part in movement control and represents the ability to organise the body and carry out a motor activity. The whole body is involved in the planning of the simplest movement. Children with difficulties in those areas will demonstrate poor co-ordination, clumsiness and very inefficient patterns of movement. 5. Co-ordination Coordination is the integration between the motor and the sensor systems in the human body. It helps us to perform and control movements, while using two body parts or more.

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Co-ordination is a key word when talking about the simple skills that each child is required to perform during his first years in life. The ability to co-ordinate our bodies develops through age and a variety of motor experiences.

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Most human motor patterns engage several body parts, which move simultaneously. Among the movement patterns we can identify 6 co-ordination groups: Hand-eye - writing, drawing, target throwing, bouncing a ball etc. Hand-hand-eye - cutting, sawing, tying knots, clapping, juggling, bow and arrow, etc. Leg-eye - kicking, hopping, etc. Leg-leg-eye - hopscotch, skating, walking, jumping, football, etc. 2 legs-2 hands-eye - hockey, golf, volleyball, basketball, driving, climbing, skipping, etc. Whole body-eye - dancing, trampoline, gymnastic, etc.

Focused work on co-ordination will develop laterality, spatial awareness, timing, rhythm, and will allow better movement control and efficiency when working on fine or gross motor tasks. Children with sensor or motor difficulties can demonstrate poor gross or fine motor co-ordination that may lead to cognitive, emotional and social problems. 6. Basic skills Basic skills are the fundamental movements that children normally learn in their first 8 years of life. Some children with Downs syndrome will be delayed in acquiring these fundamental skills. Preschool and primary children are the main population in this stage of motor development and have to develop and refine these motor skills in order to move on to the next developmental stage. Many complex movements that we can identify in different sports and dance are no more than a highly elaborated form of these fundamental movements that combine with one another in a more sophisticated level of functioning. For many years the assumption was made that children develop mature patterns of movement through the process of growing up. Nowadays, it is well known that a child should be introduced and exposed to a wide variety of meaningful movement experiences and situations in order to build a solid motor foundation that will enable him to achieve in later stages of his motor development. We can categorise the fundamental movements into three groups: Locomotion - walking, running, crawling, leaping, jumping, hopping, galloping, sliding, skipping, and climbing. Manipulation - throwing, kicking, striking, volleying, bouncing, rolling, catching, trapping. Stability - balancing, rolling, swinging, spinning, floating.

The next three stages of movement development are: The general movements (age 8 11) - a child who has achieved this stage will be able to generalise a specific skill to different situations (simple "big games"). 5

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Stuarts swing

Tom swinging

Callum at the top

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Jack with a balloon

Toms swing

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The specific movements (age 11 13) - a child who has achieved this stage will be able to perform specific motor task with great efficiency (complex sports and games). The specialised movements (age 14 and over) - the last stage of motor development depend on two factors: i) The type of early intervention and the learned motor competency. ii) Genetic factors like speed, build, muscle mass etc. This stage will continue developing through life and will determine if the individual will ever be a great athlete. References and useful reading Abraham, M. C. (2002). Sensory integration. McGraw-Hill. (LDA). Benstein, D. (1967). The co-ordination and regulation of movements. London: Pergamon. Bredekampe, S. (1987). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children Bissell, J., Fisher, J., Owens, C., Polcyn, P. (1998) Sensory motor hand book. Sensory integration international. Brewer, C. & Campbell, D. (1991). Rhythm of learning, creative tools for developing lifelong skills. Tucson: Zephyr press. Burns, Y. & Gunn, P. (edit). (1993). Down Syndrome - moving through life. Chapman & Hall. Cantor, C. R. Balance Disorders. University of Pennsylvania health system Journal. (2002). Cheatum, B. A. (2000). Physical activities for improving childrens learning and behavior. Publisher: Human kinetics. Gallahue, D.L. (1976) Motor development and movement experiences for young children. John Wiley & sons, inc. Gallahue, D.L. & Ozmun, J.C. (1995) Understanding motor development (3rd ed.). Wisconsin: Brown & Benchmark. Kranowitz, C. S. (1998). The out-of-sync child. Skylight Press. New York. Nehrenz, G. Motion interpretation. The Internet Journal of Rescue and Disaster medicine. (2000). Vol. 1N1. Newton, R. (1992). Downs Syndrome (positive health guides). Optima little brown. London. Wall, J. & Murry, N. (1994). Children and movement (2nd ed.). Dubuque, IA: Brown & Benchmark.

Downs Syndrome Association 2003 All rights reserved Any part of this publication may be reproduced and distributed free for educational purposes so long as the source is acknowledged. Commercial reproduction requires the written permission of the Downs Syndrome Association.

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Williams, H.G. (1983). Perceptual and Motor Development. Englewood Clifes, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

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Developing Language Skills

a) Language development in Downs syndrome

Learning to talk is one of the most important things that children do. It is the basis of their social, emotional and cognitive development. Consequently, progress in learning to talk will benefit every other aspect of the childs life. For children with Downs syndrome, speech and language skills are often significantly delayed, more so than their non-verbal abilities. Research has identified a specific profile of speech and language delays and difficulties associated with Downs syndrome. Many children with Downs syndrome experience some hearing loss, especially in the early years. Over 50% are likely to have a conductive loss due to glue ear, resulting from frequent upper respiratory tract infections. These infections tend to be exacerbated by the small sinuses and narrow ear canals typically found in children with Downs syndrome. In addition, up to 20% may have a sensorineural loss, caused by developmental defects in the ear or the auditory nerves. If the child you are working with does not respond to verbal instructions, it is important to determine whether they are ignoring you, whether they dont understand what you are saying or whether they are simply unable to hear you properly. Remember, hearing can fluctuate on a day to day basis, so monitor the childs responses carefully and get professional help if you are in doubt. Children with Downs syndrome often have difficulty making speech sounds because of low muscle tone in the tongue and lips making their speech imprecise or slurred. A smaller than average oral cavity leaves less room for the tongue which may appear to be too big for the mouth, thus impeding speech production. Mouth breathing due to nasal congestion or enlarged tonsils and adenoids will also affect intelligibility, fluency and resonance. Vocal chords may be swollen, affecting their ability to vibrate, resulting in the hoarse voice typical of many children with Downs syndrome. Language learning is affected by the childs skills in auditory discrimination and auditory processing as well as their short term auditory memory. All of these are slow to develop in children with Downs syndrome. Short term auditory memory is the memory store used to hold, process, understand and assimilate the meaning of spoken language. A poor short term auditory memory will affect the childs ability to follow and respond to the spoken word as well as the rate at which new words are learned.
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Because of their poor working memory, children with Downs syndrome have greater difficulty than their peers with: processing and retaining spoken words, understanding and responding to spoken language, following verbal instructions, learning abstract or unfamiliar vocabulary, remembering rules and routines, developing organisational skills, remembering sequences or lists. Critically, words disappear too quickly from the memory. A child struggling to process and remember what was said can quickly become overloaded if given unfamiliar vocabulary or long complicated sentences. If that happens, they will either switch off completely or retain only parts of what they have heard, typically the beginnings or ends of sentences. This poses real problems for children in school situations with a high auditory content such as carpet time, circle time, listening to a new story, assembly, whole class discussions, whole class instructions or mental arithmetic sessions.

b) Strategies to promote language

To reduce the effects of any hearing loss, children with Downs syndrome should be placed near the front of the class and background noise kept to a minimum. The teacher should speak clearly and directly to the child, taking care over similarly sounding words such as trees and cheese. She should maintain eye contact and use visual cues such as pictures, signs or exaggerated facial expressions to support speech. To gain their attention, use the childs name before giving them an instruction or asking them a question. New vocabulary should be written on the board, once the child has learned to read, and other childrens answers repeated back. Any verbal input should be supported in visual form, i.e. keywords, symbols or drawings. To improve articulation and phonology, consult a speech and language therapist about activities that can be incorporated into the childs learning programme.

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Keep records of the childs expressive and comprehension abilities. Ensure that their true abilities are not underestimated. Observe them and write down the gestures, signs and words that they already use. Ask the parents to do the same at home and compare the two lists.

Give them time to organise their thoughts and find the words they want to use. Count to 30 before jumping in.
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Listen and respond to all the childs communications. Create opportunities for them to make choices.

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Use styles of conversation that will encourage them to expand on and develop their verbal contribution. Try to avoid closed questions that require only a one word answer. Simplify your language whenever you can. Try to use key words in a sentence e.g. saying Come here instead of Come closer so that I can hear what you are saying. Back up words with gestures e.g. finger to lips and Shhh instead of Stop talking and get on with your work. Use signs and reading activities to support all speech work. Repeat individually any instructions given to the class as a whole. Check the child has understood by asking them to repeat back what you said. Give the child with Downs syndrome opportunities to practice their language in situations that are meaningful for them. Wherever possible, encourage them to take the lead e.g. giving instructions to their peers as teachers helper. Give choices. Instead of Where were you when you lost your book? try Wheres your book? On the floor? In your tray?. To improve short term auditory memory: Play memory games such as I went to market and I bought.... Teach rehearsal techniques e.g. repeating subvocally an instruction as they complete a task or take a message.

c) Using sign to facilitate language development

Children who cannot say what they want or how they are feeling may develop inappropriate behaviours. Visual prompt cards or cards showing feelings may empower the child to communicate their needs visually before they can do it verbally. Children with Downs syndrome learn to use gestures long before they can talk. First words are typically delayed even when early vocabulary is understood. Being able to sign means children are able to communicate more effectively and thus frustration is reduced. Ideally, signing systems such as Makaton or Signalong should be introduced before the child starts school. However, it is important that parents and school staff are familiar with
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the childs signing system and can back it up both at home and in school. Signs help children to use new words while their speech is still difficult to understand. Signs are a bridge to speaking and will be needed less as speech develops. As long as adults talk as they sign, signing will not delay speech development.

Example of Communication book - using symbols to describe emotions and feelings.

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Crisps Toilet To look

Working bunched hand touches supporting flat hand (palm up, pointing in) and moves to working side of mouth finishing palm back, pointing up.

Extended middle finger of working hand (palm back, pointing in/up) brushes supporting side of upper chest.

Working index (palm in, pointing up) moves from side of eye towards object. Pictures copyright of signalong

Children who sign have been found to acquire larger spoken vocabularies than those who dont. However, it is important that speech sound work is ongoing alongside the use of signs. The focus should always be on learning to say words with signs as an aid not as an alternative. Speaking should be encouraged as the main means of communication from around four years of age. By school age, signs should only be used when necessary and speaking should be the focus for daily communication. Nevertheless, communication will be improved if the whole class are taught to use and understand the first 50-100 signs.

d) Teaching reading to teach talking

Children with Downs syndrome have difficulty learning language from listening alone. However, they find it easier to learn visually. As a consequence, printed words are easier for them to remember than spoken words. Print can be used from as early as two years of age to support language learning. Many children with Downs syndrome begin to read at an early age and can remember printed words with ease. Reading to children with Downs syndrome and teaching them to read may be the most effective way to develop speech and language skills from infancy right through the school years. Research studies show that teaching reading has a significant effect on the development of language and working memory for children with Downs syndrome. All language targets can be taught with the aid of written materials, even to children who are not able to remember the words or read independently.
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Reading activities teach new vocabulary and grammar. Reading enables children to practice complete sentences, teaches word order and supports correct pronunciation. Reading can help speech at the level of sounds, whole words or sentence production. For some pupils who have significant learning disabilities and, often, other associated difficulties, it is useful to use objects of reference initially, followed by photos then pictures with words that are symbolised using PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) or Writing with Symbols 2000 (Widgit). E.g. a swimming costume may be shown initially every time that you are going to the pool which then progresses onto a photo as a prompt, then a symbol of the word swimming plus a sign.

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Useful reading
1. Alton, S. (2001) Children with Downs syndrome and Short term Auditory Memory Information sheet. Downs Syndrome Association. 2. Buckley, S. & Bird, G. (2001) Speech & language development for children with Down syndrome. Down syndrome Issues & Information. DownsEd. 3. Kumin, L. (2001) Classroom language skills for children with Down syndrome. Woodbine House.

Language resources
1. Devon Learning Resources, 21 Old Mill Rd., Torquay. TQ2 6AU. Tel: 01803 605531 2. DownsEd, The Sarah Duffen Centre, Belmont St., Southsea, Portsmouth, Hants. PO5 1NA. Tel: 023 9285 5330 3. LDA, Duke St., Wisbech, Cambs. PE13 2AE. Tel: 01945 463441 4. Philip & Tacey, North Way, Andover, Hants. SP10 5BA. Tel: 01264 332171 5. The Signalong Group, Communication Language Centre, North Pondside, Historic Dockyard, Chatham, Kent. ME4 4TY. Tel: 01634 832469 6. Winslow Press, Telford Rd., Bicester, Oxon OX6 OTS. Tel: 01869 244644 7. Makaton Vocabulary Development Project, 31 Firwood Drive, Camberley, Surrey, GU15 3QD. Tel: 01276 681368 8. Picture Exchange Communication, Pyramid Educational Consultants UK Ltd. (PECs). Tel. 01273 609555. www.pecs.org.uk
Downs Syndrome Association 2003 All rights reserved Any part of this publication may be reproduced and distributed free for educational purposes so long as the source is acknowledged. Commercial reproduction requires the written permission of the Downs Syndrome Association.

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Unit 6:

Developing Literacy Skills

a) Learning to read
Reading is one area of the curriculum where many children with Downs syndrome can excel, often placing them within the range of skill exhibited by their typical peers. In the early years, structured teaching should begin with matching, selecting and naming pictures. Photos of familiar everyday objects or family members are a particularly useful resource (Fig. 1). This should then proceed to word matching, selection and reading. Because children with Downs syndrome are visual learners, they will find it easier to learn whole words than letter sounds or syllables.

Fig. 1

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First reading books should have uncomplicated stories and ideas with simple sentences and accompanying pictures. Supplement these with home made books using photos of the childs day or weekend activities (Fig. 2). Use a digital camera in school or ask parents to provide suitable pictures.

Fig. 2

As well as home made story books, create scrapbooks which can be used to teach words in categories e.g. furniture, animals or transport. Use the childs interests as a guide and try to extend them to design topics for the whole class (Fig. 3).

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Fig. 3
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Fig. 4

Fig. 5

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New vocabulary should be introduced gradually, using flashcards. Teach the words from the first books in the school reading scheme or words the child already uses or understands. Well structured reading schemes such as Oxford Reading Tree have proved particularly successful for children with Downs syndrome. However, books should be selected that reflect real experiences familiar to the child not fantasy. Begin early with sentence work. Make sentences with words the child already knows, using Velcrod strips or sentence holders. Match flashcard words to sentence strips. Teach the small connecting words which can prove particularly dificult (Figs. 4, 5, and 6). Link reading to the childs comprehension of spoken language and use it to develop grammar and syntax.

Fig. 6

As a general rule, the introduction of symbols to aid reading should not be necessary for most young children with Downs syndrome. However, for children who do not readily access whole word learning, symbols may be necessary. The following examples show an example of helping a pupil construct a sentence using symbols and the written word and an example of a symbolised Oxford Reading Tree storybook (Figs. 7 and 8). When symboling sentences, generally only symbol the key words as too many symbols make it complicated and unhelpful. Symbols always appear with the written word.

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Fig. 7 Symbols can also be effective when teaching older children more abstract concepts such as time or in framing "what", "who", "where" and "why" questions.

Fig. 8

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Once children have mastered the initial or logographic stage of reading, whereby they recognise words by their visual pattern, they should be ready to move on to the second or alphabetic stage. Here letter/sound correspondence is developed and used to build unknown words from their component parts. Most children with Downs syndrome maintain their progress in reading by relying on logographic visual memory strategies. However, unless they acquire phonic skills, their progress will eventually slow down or even stop. While children with Downs syndrome can develop alphabetic strategies, they are unlikely to do so before they achieve a reading age of at least seven. So dont worry if phonics dont appear to catch on in the early years. Nevertheless, children with Downs syndrome should always be included in class phonics and in work around the literacy hour. Schemes that use a very visual approach such as Jolly Phonics or Alphabats provide easier access to this learning than more auditory approaches. To aid the development of phonic skills, use words the child can read as a whole. Teach simple word families with similar beginnings and endings. Teach initial sounds, graduating to CVC words and simple blends. However, dont lose heart if progress is slow. Persevere and they will eventually cotton on. Remember that reading text is a powerful tool for teaching speech and language to children with Downs syndrome and for supporting their cognitive development. Combined with writing, reading can help improve communication, enabling pupils to achieve greater independence and enhance their attainment across the curriculum.

b) Teaching handwriting
Handwriting is usually a difficult skill for children with Downs syndrome to acquire because of their poor muscle tone and consequent fine motor problems. Try to encourage the child to take part in emergent writing activities with the rest of the class. Let them produce a mark or scribble on the top of their pictures to represent their name. Try the child with different types and thickness of writing implement, pencil grips or writing slopes to make the process easier. To increase learning experiences and keep the pupil motivated, use a wide range of multisensory activities and materials as alternatives to pencil and paper. Practice letter shapes using shaving foam, sand, finger paint, playdough or chalk.
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Teach correct letter formation from the beginning using RolnWrite plastic letters. Alternatively, use letters cut out of sandpaper or with arrows drawn on to indicate which way to move their pencil. Visual aids to encourage correct pencil grip can be helpful e.g. drawing a dog on the childs hand, between the thumb and index finger, to be stroked by their pencil as they write. Provide squared paper to encourage consistency in size of letters (Fig. 9). Reduce the size of the squares over time. Let the child use lined paper with wide spacing until they can write confidently.

Fig. 9
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In teaching independent writing, encourage the child to use the following sequence: Write on top of the word using a different coloured pencil or crayon.

i)

ii) Trace over the word using tracing paper. iii) Complete a dot to dot version of the word. iv) Copy the word directly underneath the model. v) Copy the word from a separate card. vi) Copy the word from the board or a wall display. vii) Write familiar words from dictation. viii) Tell a story to an adult then let them dictate it back one word at a time. For some children with extreme finger and hand weakness, advice from an occupational therapist or specialist teacher for pupils with physical difficulties may be helpful. It can be useful for the younger child to have a collection of items specifically chosen in order to improve strength in wrists and hands, and improve finger dexterity. These can be contained in a brightly coloured box and offered at times when your child has finished their activity earlier than their peers or simply needs a change of activity. Strengthening Activities - examples: Small squashy ball, which does not spring back into shape immediately - count the seconds before it regains its shape Bull-dog clips and pegs A stress ball Pop-together beads and threading beads Lego and multi-link etc. Plasticine for pinching small bits off and rolling into balls or snakes Squeaky squeeze toys Jumpy frogs, and Tiddly-winks Picking up small items such as macaroni and putting into bowls, or fairy cake trays Cutting practice - special spring-loaded scissors can help Play dough

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c) Developing writing skills
Producing any form of written work is a highly complex task. Difficulties in short term auditory memory, speech and language development and the organisation and sequencing of information, make a considerable impact on the acquisition and development of writing skills for many children with Downs syndrome. Particular areas of difficulty are: 1. Sequencing words into grammatically correct sentences, 2. sequencing events and information into the correct order, 3. taking notes and dictation, 4. organising thoughts and relevant information onto paper, 5. completing lengthy written tasks, 6. copying text from the blackboard. To encourage more independence in the early stages of writing, provide the child with a writing folder (Fig. 10). This should consist of a set of cards with Velcro strips, to which flashcards of the words the child knows are attached. A blank card with strips of Velcro can then be used to create new sentences using words selected from the folder or new words written onto blank flashcards. Ensure pupils are only asked to write about topics which build upon their experiences and understanding. If the class are being asked to copy from the board, select and highlight key sentences for the pupil with Downs syndrome to copy. Allow pupils who find it hard to copy from the board to copy from a version of the text placed next to them. Focus on what is essential for the pupil to record, or use cloze procedure on previously prepared worksheets that can be stuck into the childs book or folder. Pace any dictation appropriately. Include repetition and ensure the vocabulary used is chosen to suit the language ability of the pupil. Encourage the use of cursive script to aid fluency. Teach upper and lower case letters simultaneously to aid generalisation. Use a conversation diary to reinforce the link between reading and writing. Provide lists of keywords, word banks, word and picture dictionaries.

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A writing folder Fig.10

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Where the child continues to find writing difficult, try to provide alternative methods of recording: 1. Worksheets where the pupil underlines or rings the correct answer, (Fig. 11). 2. worksheets with blanks for the correct words (cloze procedure), 3. sentence or picture cards for the child to put in order, 4. pictures, symbols or flashcards for the pupil to select and paste in, (Fig. 12). 5. self adhesive stickers with words written on, 6. word stamps with an ink pad, 7. a tape recorder or dictaphone, 8. a word processor with specialist software such as Clicker 4. Encourage children to work in pairs or groups, enabling the child with Downs syndrome to dictate their ideas to a peer who acts as a scribe. Try not to create a situation where the pupil is totally dependent on their teaching assistant acting as their secretary.

Fig. 11
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Example of writing produced by Year 4 boy, 9 years

d) Strategies for spelling

Fig. 12

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Spelling is a particular issue which will need to be addressed independently from that of writing. The use of phonics as an aid to developing reading and spelling skills can be problematic for children with Downs syndrome as it requires good hearing, fine discrimination of sounds and advanced problem solving skills.

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Many pupils with Downs syndrome learn to spell words purely by relying on their visual memory and learning the shape of the word. However, others will acquire a basic knowledge of letter/sound correspondence or learn to recite the letter names when writing out a word. In developing spelling skills, use words the child can already read. Teach spellings as visually as possible e.g. using the look-say-copycover-write-check approach. Colour code similar letter groups or patterns within words. Use muti-sensory methods e.g. finger tracing over sandpaper letters. As childrens reading improves, they will begin to associate sounds with letter strings and patterns. Draw the childs attention to strings such as ing or tion as they are reading. Make a dictionary using words the child knows how to spell. Finger spelling may help some children remember letter names and letter patterns. Learning to finger spell can be an enjoyable game for a group of children to play together. Check educational suppliers for good visual teaching materials e.g vowel and blend snap, ten minutes a day or wordspell. Build a word bank using index cards in a box. Group words under headings e.g. people, animals, school, home, or arrange them alphabetically but colour code them with pictures representing the categories at the front of the box. Colour code lists of keywords required for different subject areas e.g. green for geography, red for science. Use the same colours for exercise books and worksheets to aid recall.

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Useful reading
1. Alton, S. (2001) Children with Downs syndrome Reading Information sheet. Downs Syndrome Association. 2. Berger, A. & Gross, J. (2000) Teaching the Literacy Hour in the Inclusive Classroom. David Fulton Publishers. 3. Bird, G., Beadman, J. & Buckley, S. (2000) Reading and writing development for children with Down syndrome. Down Syndrome Issues & Information. DownsEd. 4. Oelwein, P. (1995) Teaching Reading to Children with Down Syndrome. Woodbine House.

Literacy resources
1. DownsEd, Sarah Duffen Centre, Belmont St., Southsea, Portsmouth, Hants. PO5 1NA. Tel: 023 9285 5330 2. LDA, Duke St., Wisbech, Cambs. PE13 2AE. Tel: 01945 463441 3. Taskmaster, Morris Rd., Leicester, LE2 6BR. Tel: 0116 2704286 4. Winslow Press, Telford Rd., Bicester, Oxon, OX6 0TS. Tel: 01869 244644
Downs Syndrome Association 2003 All rights reserved Any part of this publication may be reproduced and distributed free for educational purposes so long as the source is acknowledged. Commercial reproduction requires the written permission of the Downs Syndrome Association.

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Unit 7:

Acquiring Numeracy Skills

a) Mathematical learning
Most children with Downs syndrome encounter difficulties with mathematics. It is helpful to note, however, that the developmental stages passed in the acquisition of mathematical concepts appear to be similar to those passed by typically developing children. If good teaching methods are applied, there should be few if any plateaux in learning. In order to undertake mathematical operations, pupils must attain a general developmental readiness. They must be competent in classification, one-to-one correspondence, the cardinal and ordinal aspects of number, conservation, flexibility and reversibility. Children with Downs syndrome are likely to be slow in developing these concepts and may have particular problems with the language of mathematics e.g. same/different, more/less. The initial informal stages of mathematical learning are vital to the development of skills in matching, comparing, sorting, labelling, mapping and ordering. It is particularly important for children at this stage to fully understand the concepts same and different. These are acquired in an unstructured manner, together with language and conversational skills, through interaction with peers and adults and by becoming absorbed in day to day activities. The transition from informal to formal is very gradual. Pupils with Downs syndrome may encounter difficulty associating informal maths knowledge with formal school maths. Connections are likely to be made slowly and sometimes maths may be perceived as a set of unrelated facts. Making these connections takes time, a variety of experiences and carefully directed teaching. Worksheets with pictorial representations of mathematical facts are semi-abstract and symbolic. If introduced too early they can confuse the fragile links being formed between existing concepts. The use of structured concrete materials is important in securing these links, not only in the early years but also during concept development stages in higher level mathematics. Concrete materials can be held, moved, grouped and separated, allowing pupils to visualise mathematical processes. This makes them much more real than pictorial representations alone. Generalisation and understanding of the abstract nature of maths requires a considerable length of time with structured, concrete, real materials, slowly building connections. Gradually the pupil will grasp
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the concept of conservation of number, the realisation that five objects, regardless of size, shape, colour or arrangement, still count as five. Commercially produced materials may be helpful at this stage but should always be used alongside real objects. Although colourful and fun to use, materials such as Compare Bears or Peg People are still in a sense abstract as we do not count such things in real life situations. Additionally, commercial materials may inhibit learning as pupils may prefer to play with them rather than using them as a tool for learning. However, recent experience suggests that the Numicon materials trialled at the University of Brighton and available from Downs Ed. may be of real value to children with Downs syndrome. Numicon is concerned with how all children learn about numbers and emphasises the value of using structured visual representations to teach the relationships between numbers. Its multi-sensory approach is proving successful because of the ability of pupils with Downs syndrome to learn by using their visual and spatial memory. Numicon materials make use of patterns and aim to develop pupils number concepts by providing information on position, action, colour and shape (Fig. 1). Children internalise the images of the number plates to give them a visual image for each number that will support later numerical operations.
Using Numicon

Fig. 1

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Nevertheless, it is important that children realise that there is a real purpose to the use of mathematics and that it is not just an activity that takes place in school. It is vital, therefore, to create real situations with everyday objects to count e.g. giving out pencils or exercise books, setting the table for lunch or putting straws in bottles of milk.

b) The language of maths

For children with Downs syndrome, competence in number is linked to their level of knowledge and understanding, not to their syndrome. Children of similar developmental levels are likely to share the same level of competence in counting skills and counting principles. Prior to undertaking any mathematical operation or task, the language skills and short term memory of the pupil are the first to be put to the test. Difficulties in processing language, together with remembering what to do and in which order, restrict the ability of children with Downs syndrome to complete mathematical tasks. Calculations and word problems all require language. Difficulties arise because of:

a) the abstract language of maths, which is unlikely to provide a basis for understanding; (Fig. 2). b) the use of symbols to represent numbers and the use of concepts which cannot be decoded using contextual cues as in reading; c) the need to recall and use many steps, rules and number facts which require language. Limited comprehension inhibits the ability of the child to solve word problems. As mathematical levels increase, so do the demands placed on reading and language skills. Learning to read maths words at the same time as developing understanding will help the child memorise the key vocabulary. Similarly, children should be taught to recognise and understand associated maths terms and symbols. Ensure the child can match, select, name and understand all associated words. Teach the language of maths alongside maths teaching rather than as an afterthought. Personal word lists and keyword flash cards displayed clearly during tasks and assignments will help jog the childs memory.

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Maths vocabulary
Using and applying maths: Results, outcome, check, explain, record, make, test, predict. Number and algebra: A lot, all, some, both, another, not any, many, same, more, less, every, enough, as many as, first, second, third.... last, add, subtract, take away, guess, estimate, two times, multiply, units, tens, hundreds, odd, even. Fractions: Same, different, as big as, smaller than, larger than, greater than, whole, piece (of the.....), part, complete, halves equal, unequal, quarters, one quarter, two quarters, three quarters, one half. Time: again, now, after, soon, today, before, later, yesterday, early, late once, tomorrow, twice, quick, slow, first, next, last, days of the week weeks in a month, months of the year, oclock, half past, quarter past, quarter to, seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years. Size width, height, length: big, small, little, fat, thin, long, short, thick, wide, narrow, comparative and superlative forms of words, as big as , longer than, shorter than, order compare, all units of measure. Area, volume, capacity: a lot, lots, a little, a bit, a small bit, empty, full, much, most, more, more than, less than, same, and all units of measure. Weight: Heavy, light, heavier than, lighter than, heaviest, lightest. Money: Coins, how much, how much altogether, cost, price, change. Shape: Round, dot, spot, line, circle, rectangle, square, hexagon, pentagon, oval, triangle, diamond, sphere, cylinder, cuboid, pyramid. Spatial Relationships: In, on, under, by, beside, behind, in front of, next to, over, through, inside, outside, out, to, off, above, below, round, up, down, front, back, left, right forwards, backwards, top, bottom, middle, first, last, next.

Fig. 2

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c) Difficulties associated with learning maths
Difficulties that arise from visual-spatial impairment in some pupils may mean that they will encounter difficulty when differentiating between numbers, e.g. 6 and 9, 2 and 5, 17 and 71, and between operation symbols e.g. + and x, - and =, < and >. The directional aspect of maths may be problematic e.g. using a number line, vertical addition, left-right regrouping and alignment of numbers or writing across the paper in a straight line. The recognition and understanding of the associated vocabulary should be taught alongside each, to help reduce confusion. Some children encounter difficulties with fine and gross motor skills and may have problems in handling small objects. Consequently they may not develop concepts through manipulation of objects in loosely structured exploratory play. Opportunities need to be created in a structured and progressive way, encouraging pupils to manipulate, investigate and use concrete materials. Adult intervention may be necessary to explain what is being discovered and why. This should then be followed by sufficient practice to consolidate their learning. Other problems with maths faced by some children with Downs syndrome include counting past a given number, as the child may have forgotten the specific number or may not fully understand the cardinal principle of final tag representations. Providing a visual prompt to help the child stop at the correct number can help in the early years (Fig. 3). Ensure the child touches each item and says the number as they count. Teach that two items are called two and count one, two emphasising the two. Introduce three items and then four. If the child is confident, interrupt the count and ask the pupil to say what the last one will be.

6
Fig. 3
5

5
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Typically pupils may not be able to: 1. assess whether they have the necessary skills to solve a problem, 2. identify and select appropriate processes, 3. organise information, examine the problem solving process they are using, make adaptations to the process when necessary, 4. evaluate their answers and identify errors, 5. generalise strategies to different situations. Pupils with Downs syndrome often have good rote memorising capabilities. Rote learning enables retention of facts, reduces stress on short term memory and enables the development and use of mathematical processes and strategies. However, it is important to teach understanding prior to memorising basic facts. Teach children to count on and back from numbers other than 1. Use coins to teach children to count in 2s, 5s, 10s and 50s, far more useful in real life than learning their 3 or 4 times tables (Fig. 4).

Fig. 4 Additionally, it is important to consider whether or not concepts have been adequately covered in previous lessons and whether any component part has been omitted e.g. it would be inappropriate to teach long division to a child who has not yet understood the principle of division as sharing or made the connection between multiplication and division.

Unit 7

Lack of significant thinking skills compounds problem solving difficulties. Pupils need to be given opportunities to undertake problem solving and other maths thinking activities even before they have mastered computation. Encourage the pupil to:read and understand the problem, look for the key questions and recognise important words,
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select the appropriate operation, write the number sentence (the equation) and solve it, check their answers, correct any errors. Help pupils to solve problems by demonstrating and providing a permanent model i.e. a completed item or task. Verbalise the key words associated with each step with the permanent model in view. Instruct the pupil to complete each step while saying the key words out loud. Finally, allow the pupil to complete subsequent problems on their own, with the teachers model still available. Provide adequate experiences with real life materials, time for exploration and situations where the right answer is irrelevant. Use careful, accurate and appropriate language. Provide helpful technologies and convey to the pupil that getting it wrong is a necessary part of learning.

d) Acquiring basic skills

In planning the maths curriculum for a child with Downs syndrome, learning outcomes should be feasible and activities and tasks manageable, within the resources available. They should be relevant to the childs capabilities and realistic, by providing the appropriate skills for future needs. In curriculum planning, neither the childs IQ nor the Downs syndrome label are of much use in target setting. More relevant to the teacher are their number vocabulary, their ability to enumerate and their level of task understanding. Additionally, it is important to bear in mind their level of self motivation, the quality of tasks and instruction and the pupils individual and preferred learning style. You will need to recap and revisit previously covered materials and teach key mathematical terminology as a specific skill. Use directed practice together with teacher instruction, followed by independent practice and positive feedback. During the directed and independent practice, provide many and varied opportunities to manipulate concrete materials to assist conceptual understanding. Consider existing background knowledge. Mathematics depends heavily on previously learned skills. Consequently, it is important to ensure that prerequisite skills have been acquired prior to the introduction of new ones. Attentiveness during practice is as crucial as the time spent on the task. Distributed practice, meaning regular practice in small doses, is particularly beneficial e.g. two ten minute sessions per day are likely to be better than a two hour session once a week.
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Initially children need to learn that counting involves pointing to objects individually and giving each a specific and different number name. The stable order principle, which comes next, involves the realisation that counting the same set of objects several times will always give the same result. In learning the cardinal principle, the child becomes aware that the final number of a count represents the whole group. Next, the abstraction principle illustrates that the number of objects in a set will remain the same however they are arranged. Finally, the order irrelevant principle involves teaching the child that the number of objects in a set will remain the same whatever order they are counted in. (Fig. 5).

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Fig. 5

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Practical activities to develop these principles should be devised, progressing along the following sequence: Sorting and matching like objects by colour, size and shape Rote counting objects from 1-10 Counting up to 10 objects in a row Associating numerals with the written words, spoken words and appropriate amounts Selecting up to 5 objects from a set of 10 Matching numerals 1-5 Selecting numeral 1-5 on request Sequencing numerals 1-5 in correct order Sequencing amounts 1-5 in correct order Identifying and selecting correct numeral on request Labelling amounts 1-5 with correct numeral Copying numerals 1-5 on request Repeating items (v) -(xii) using numerals 1-10 Counting left to right using 1:1 correspondence Organising materials so they can be counted accurately One digit addition e.g. 3+4

i) ii) iii) iv)

v) vi) vii) viii) ix) x) xi) xii) xiii) xiv) xv) xvi)

xvii) Counting objects to 20 xviii) Subtracting one digit e.g. 4-2

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Useful reading
1. Berger, A., Morris, D. & Portman, J. (2000) Implementing the National Numeracy Strategy for Pupils with Learning Difficulties. David Fulton Publishers 2. Bird, G. & Buckley, S. (2000) Number skills development for children with Down syndrome. Down Syndrome Issues & Information. DownsEd. 3. Delaney, K., Pinel, A. & Smith, D. (1999) Maths Dictionary. Questions Publishing. 4. Rowley, R., Thornley, M., Forrest, A., Standen, H & Higginson, J. (2001) Count Us In. Questions Publishing.

Maths resources
1. DownsEd, Sarah Duffen Centre, Belmont St., Southsea, Portsmouth, Hants. PO5 1NA. Tel: 023 9285 5330 2. LDA, Duke St., Wisbech, Cambs. PE13 2AE. Tel: 01945 463441 3. Numicon Ltd., Unit D, Prospect House, The Hyde Business Park, Bevendean, Brighton BN2 4JE. Tel: 01273 609991 4. Winslow Press, Telford Rd., Bicester, Oxon, OX6 0TS. Tel: 01869 244644
Downs Syndrome Association 2003 All rights reserved Any part of this publication may be reproduced and distributed free for educational purposes so long as the source is acknowledged. Commercial reproduction requires the written permission of the Downs Syndrome Association.

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Unit 8:

Behaviour and Social Skills

a) Causes of inappropriate behaviour

Over the years children with Downs syndrome have been described as typically affectionate and stubborn. They have commonly been seen as task avoiders and as reliant on familiar routines. While all these characteristics are undoubtedly found in some young people with Downs syndrome, they are learned behaviours not an inevitable part of their syndrome. Research suggests that the behaviour of children with Downs syndrome tends to improve with age but that 11-15% will have persistent behaviour problems through childhood and adolescence. Some children with Downs syndrome experience high levels of anxiety. As a consequence they may feel a need to cling to routines and rituals to bring a sense of predictability to their lives and hence reduce their anxiety. Others are affected by autism or attention deficit disorder which will influence their social development and make them more difficult to manage than other children with Downs syndrome alone. However, many of the behaviours characteristic of these conditions are also found in children with particularly delayed language and cognitive skills, so care should be taken in diagnosing these conditions. The most common form of inappropriate behaviour in all children, including those with Downs syndrome, is behaviour designed to gain attention. They may be particularly attention seeking because: They enjoy being the centre of attention and dislike being ignored or having to wait their turn. They see others getting what they want by being difficult. They have been successful in using attention seeking behaviour in the past to get their own way or avoid work. Sometimes children will misbehave because they are angry or frustrated. They may find that the work they are being given is too difficult, too easy or just boring. They may get annoyed when other people dont take the time to understand what they are trying to say. They may want to do the same work as everyone else, but an adult insists they do something different or special, often outside the classroom.
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Some children may appear to misbehave when they are, in reality, just confused or uncertain about what they are supposed to do. They may have failed to understand instructions they have been given. They may have forgotten what they have been told. They may be confused by different adults giving conflicting messages. Children in a special school are often subjected to a high level of structure and supervision. As a result they may feel the need to exert some control over their lives. They may refuse to cooperate with their teacher or assistant as a matter of principle. They may be difficult if they feel they are given no opportunities to choose their own activities. They may feel under pressure and need a break. Finally, they may be imitating the behaviour of peers. They may have had few opportunities to observe age-appropriate behaviours. They may be copying peers with immature play and social skills. Immature or inappropriate behaviours may have been ignored or accepted in the past.

b) Strategies for dealing with behavioural challenges

Before trying to change a childs behaviour, it is important to observe them in different settings and at different times, to determine when the undesirable behaviour occurs and what triggers it off. Try to work out why the child is doing it and what rewards they are getting from the behaviour. There is always a reason for behaviours. They may just be copying others, they may find that other children laugh at them, they may get out of activities they dislike. Then change something in the situation so that the behaviour is no longer triggered and see whether it makes a difference. Remember that the best way in the long term to minimise a problem behaviour is to replace it by teaching a more desirable alternative.
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Never take good behaviour for granted. Always be ready to praise and encourage the child even if they are doing something that is very ordinary.

DEALING WITH CHALLENGING BEHAVIOUR DESCRIBE the behaviour very clearly. Observe the child in different settings and at different times to determine: when the behaviour occurs and what triggers it off. TRY to guess why the child is doing it and what rewards they theyare aregetting gettingfrom from the behaviour. There is always a reason for behaviours. Check that they are not just copying other children. CHANGE something in the situation so that the behaviour is no longer triggered. e.g. change the language you use or present tasks differently. Rearrange the room or support the child more. IF the child appears to be seeking attention, try to ignore the behaviour but give the child attention whenever they behave well. Make sure no one else gives them inappropriate attention. ANGER or frustration needs to be tackled at source. Try to understand the cause of the anger. Take the child to a quiet place and give them time and space to calm down. CONFUSION is best dealt with by very consistent handling and clear instructions. Make sure all adults treat the child in the same way both at home and in school.
To reduce attention seeking behaviours:

Try to ignore attention seeking behaviour and encourage peers to do the same. Work closely with the parents to ensure that they support the school.
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Give the child attention when they are behaving well.

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To reduce frustration: Ensure tasks are appropriately matched to the childs ability. Use teaching strategies that build on the childs strengths. Keep withdrawal sessions to a minimum while encouraging the child to work co-operatively with peers. Take time to listen to what the child is trying to tell you. Use a simple home/school diary to share information with parents or carers (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1

To avoid confusion: Make sure instructions are clear and language is simple enough to ensure understanding. Teach the basic rules of behaviour and reinforce them with pictures or lists on the wall. Remind the child of the rules at regular intervals. Compare notes with your colleagues and with the parents, to make sure you are all giving the same message.

To give the child more control over their life: Make sure they have opportunities to choose, refuse an activity or do it later. Keep the child in the classroom for special work whenever possible.
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If withdrawal is really necessary, allow them to bring a friend. Give the child the opportunity to interact with their peers without continual adult supervision. To reduce the effects of inappropriate models: Keep your expectations as high as possible. Expect the child to behave age-appropriately. Try to give them regular opportunities to mix with children displaying age-appropriate behaviours. Encourage parents to give them age-appropriate experiences.

c) Promoting social inclusion

To promote social inclusion, make sure the child with Downs syndrome has learned how to behave appropriately in social situations. They need to understand about rules and routines and be able to cooperate with their peers. In group work they must be able to participate and respond appropriately, without dominating or becoming totally passive. They need to learn how to share and take turns. Outside, they need to understand the rules of playground games and what is involved in being a team member. In the classroom, successful participation is promoted by ensuring that the child: Knows the major routines of the day. A visual timetable can help here (Fig. 2). Has learned the class rules. Can participate appropriately in a small group. Will respond to requests and instructions from the class teacher. Can tidy their work and line up appropriately.

Cares for others in the group and is aware of their feelings.

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Can sit still on the carpet or at a table during class or group sessions.

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Example of visual timetable

Fig. 2 Learning appropriate social and self-help skills is a high priority for most young children with Downs syndrome. However, many will need extra help and support. Key skills should be identified and then taught in small steps. Structured approaches, such as backward chaining - where the child is taught initially to do just the last part of the task and then works backwards one step at a time - can be particularly useful. Picture or photo prompt cards can be helpful, as they show the child what it looks like to complete the task. Similarly, peers can be used as role models to demonstrate successful task completion. Before starting on a toilet training programme, make sure the child is developmentally ready. Can they retain urine for at least an hour? Do they tell people when they are wet or soiled? If not, they may not be ready. When teaching dressing skills, make sure they are taught at the appropriate point in the day e.g. coming in from play or changing for PE. Give the child extra time so they dont feel rushed. If they are really slow, use a timer and give smiley faces for finishing before the bell rings. Encourage lunchtime staff to help the child eat independently but not to cut everything up or feed them unnecessarily. If they take a packed lunch, talk to the parents about making sure that it is easy to unwrap.

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d ) C a s e s t u d i e s (Nick Logan, Sunfield School)
Louise Due to the language difficulties encountered by young people with Downs syndrome, it is often crucially important that they are helped to overcome problem behaviours with teaching methods which are visually structured and presented. This was the strategy used with Louise who when walking through a doorway would often attempt to bang the door repetitively. If someone held the door to prevent it from banging, she might become frustrated and attempt to push the person away. When she was unwell the frequency and intensity of door banging was found to increase, possibly because of an increased need to gain adult attention at such times. A step by step approach was used to teach Louise that it was possible for her to walk through a door without banging it. The strategy was as follows: Visual reminders were placed on both sides of all doors. These consisted of a photograph of Louise and a large NO symbol on a red background. If she attempted to bang the door, an adult would point to the visual prompt and say "Louise no banging". If she persisted with door banging, the adult would be encouraged to turn his/her face away and limit eye contact. Every time she managed to walk through a door without banging it she was verbally praised and was allowed to stay with the adult for a couple of minutes, being given some physical contact if she wanted it. Gary In the classroom situation, Gary would sometimes want to opt out of lessons. His tactics for opting out included falling deliberately off his chair and lying on the carpet. If someone approached him he would lash out, trying to slap them or pull their clothes. Once again a step by step approach was used to teach Gary alternative desirable behaviours. This was achieved by:

Unit 8

Creating a visual rules schedule which was placed on the wall near Garys table (Fig. 3).

Unit 8:

Fig. 3

When he was in a cooperative mood, teaching him the four stages of the schedule using adult demonstration and role play. When Gary showed the first warning signs of opting out, an adult would communicate to him the correct behaviour that was required, pointing to the schedule. The adult would then give Gary a few seconds waiting time, so that he could look at the schedule and make a decision about his behaviour.

Unit 8

If Gary did not comply, the adult would restate what was expected and point again at the schedule. Once Gary started to comply, he would be verbally praised. If he managed to behave appropriately throughout the lesson he earned a Gold Star for his Star Chart.
8

Unit 8:
James Like many young people, James does not want to go to bed at the time agreed by his parents. He refuses to stay in his bedroom, continually getting out of bed and leaving his room, so that he can ask for drinks and watch the television. When put back in his room he cries and screams. The inital response to James behaviours should be to ignore them and return him to his bedroom. However, this will only succeed if: No eye contact is given to James. Words used are kept to a minimum. No response whatsoever is given to his problem behaviours either by meeting his demands or by telling him off. In the longer term, James needs to be taught what alternative behaviours are expected from him. When he wakes he should be encouraged to look at a book or listen to a story tape instead of coming downstairs. He should have a light he can turn on himself and a supply of appropriate books or tapes at hand. When he comes downstairs he should be taken straight back and given a book or tape. Parents could stay with him for a few minutes to settle him down then leave him with his book or tape. Lavish praise should be used when he has gone all night without coming down. Useful reading 1. Alton, S. (2001) Children with Downs Syndrome - Information Sheet. Behaviour. Downs Syndrome Association. 2. Buckley, S., Bird, G. & Sacks, B. (2002) Social Development for individuals with Down syndrome. Down Syndrome Issues & Information. Down Syndrome Educational Trust. 3. Dodd, S. (1994) Managing Problem Behaviours: A Practical Guide for Parents and Teachers of Young Children with Special Needs. Maclennan & Petty. 4. Emerson, E. (2002) Challenging Behaviour: Analysis and Intervention in People with Severe Intellectual Disabilities. Cambridge University Press. 5. Flynn, M. & Flynn, P. (1998) Thinking about having a learning disability. Belitha Press.
Downs Syndrome Association 2003 All rights reserved Any part of this publication may be reproduced and distributed free for educational purposes so long as the source is acknowledged. Commercial reproduction requires the written permission of the Downs Syndrome Association.

Unit 8

Unit 10:

ICT, Computers as an aid to learning

a) The importance of ICT

ICT offers such a wide range of opportunities to children with complex special needs that there is quite reasonably an expectation that children with Downs syndrome will have access to assistive technology. This can range from switch activated speech devices to interactive curriculum material in most subject areas. While it is impossible to cover every eventuality in this section we shall highlight important sources of information. We will refer to the much more extensive resources that have been developed for staff working with children with severe and complex special educational needs, developed by a consortium of specialists and voluntary organisations*. For young children there are many resources available to assist them accessing ICT in classroom activities (Fig. 1). Simple cause and effect software encourages interaction in a fun and motivating way. It can often encourage reluctant learners to gain skills in using the computer and other devices, which will offer them access to a wide range of learning and leisure opportunities throughout their school life and beyond. As well as selecting appropriate resources, it is important to consider the location and positioning of equipment to maximise access for many learners. Organising computer desktops and basic functions, such as the visibility of the pointer on the screen and the speed at which it moves, will be vital preparation for many users on a standard computer system. (Fig. 2). For children with more complex difficulties refer to the section on organising resources on the website: http://www.inclusive.net/resources/units/unitb/unitb_contents.shtml Early speech and language skills can be encouraged using the signing and picture support available in interactive software. This can range from simple word recognition to developing two-and three-word phrases before embarking on reading schemes that are supported with spoken and written text. Recording events and creative writing can be enhanced with the production of interactive material, diaries and talking stories created using framework programmes such as Clicker or Powerpoint (Fig. 3), helping to utilise the childs strengths as a visual learner. Simpler options are available for those with greater difficulty with text and writing in the literacy and recording section: http://www.inclusive.net/resources/units/unit2/unit2_contents.shtml Children with particular difficulty with expressive language can use aids such as a BIG mack (Fig. 4) to take part in spoken activities. The use of picture support and other communication devices is explored in http://www.inclusive.net/resources/units/unit4/unit4_contents.shtml Simple software using a microphone attached to the computer can be used to encourage productive language.

Unit 10

A consortium of organisations including the Downs Syndrome Association, the RNIB and CENMAC developed training resources, examples of good practice and activities to develop ICT skills for teachers and support staff in special schools, between Jan 2000 and 2003. All the scenarios and suggested activities for training are available from the ICTS website http://www.inclusive.net/resources/resources.shtml

Unit 10:
Fig.1 Access devices.

(Fig. 2) Making windows work for you

Accessing Computers with children. Although using a Easy-Ball or other access device may be useful to break up the task of using the mouse into smaller learning steps, a child will probably need to learn how to use the standard mouse in order to be able to use the computers in school and the ever increasing number of places that we now find them. The modern Windows computer has some functions that can greatly assist a child, without the need for separate devices and added expense. It is possible to : 1. Increase the size of the pointer to make it easier to see 2. Slow down the speed at which the pointer moves on or off its target, when the mouse is moved. 3. Change the speed at which the button has to be pressed to click and double-click. These changes can be made in the following way on all Windows 95/98/2000 home computers. Inside the folder on your screen marked MY COMPUTER is a file called CONTROL PANEL. If you open that file you will see a range of icons (pictures) most of which are best left alone unless you are familiar with them.

Unit 10

Unit 10:
Switches and overlay keyboards can help when you are working on the same activity with a group of pupils with very differing abilities. These devices have improved dramatically in terms of ease of use and reliability over the last few years as have touch screen monitors. (Fig. 1) shows some of the most widely used devices. Suggestions for group activities are explored in http://www.inclusive.net/resources/units/unit6/unit6_contents.shtml It should be remembered that while the use of assistive input devices is increasingly common in the classroom, pupils will rarely find any of these in settings beyond school. Pupils will still need to develop mouse and keyboard skills for accessing the range of ICT in the community and as an aid to independence at home. Keyboarding skills could routinely be an IEP target for literacy and independence. As networks and internet connection speeds continue to improve, children of all abilities will be able to access information, education and leisure resources on the worldwide web. At both primary and secondary level children should be given opportunities to explore their interests and discover information via the internet. Setting up browser options and shortcuts to relevant websites is an important aid to pupils who may need guidance and practice at net surfing. Popular websites include the obvious Disney and BBC and ITV television sites as well as those discussing issues around television soaps and sports personalities. Schools should obviously have policies in place for filters and security and many of these issues are well discussed and documented on SENCO and SENIT forums (See Section b). Increasingly, students will be able to use relevant curriculum materials online as more content becomes available through the National Grid For Learning http://www.ngfl.gov.uk/ and regional bodies such as the Northern Grid For Learning http://www.northerngrid.org/ngfl/index.cfm

Unit 10

Unit 10:
Fig. 3

Making interactive diaries and projects in powerpoint

Fig 3

Fig. 4

BIGmack single message speech device.

Fig. 5 Literacy and recording support

A look, cover and type exercise, with either on screen keyboard or standard keyboard input. First Keys uses many exercises to help with literacy and learn keyboard skills, and can make personalised word lists to work from.

Unit 10

Recording a visit or personal diary in SwitchIt! Maker

Unit 10:
b) Networking and finding resources
There is an expectation that any teacher and most support staff will have an understanding of and have practical ICT skills to a level that is expected of an NQT (newly qualified teacher). They should be able to use a word processor for the creation of documents and to create proformas (templates) for administration and recording purposes. This should include producing frames and tables and the manipulation of text and pictures. In addition, the use of a digital camera to personalise work and the ability to seek information on the worldwide web are important for developing materials in the classroom and for professional development. Many schools now have their own website which is developed with the pupils and maintained with a special awareness of the accessibility issues relevant to the student group. Web reference http://www.inclusive.net/resources/units/unita/unita_9.shtml

Unit 1a ICT curriculum planning document, manipulating text and tables

Unit 10

Unit 10:
Networking with colleagues and finding information There are a number of useful forums and mailing lists for exploring and discovering practical advice on using ICT with children with Special Educational Needs. Mailing lists operate through e-mail, so if you would like to join in the discussions you will need to join or subscribe to the mailing lists you are interested in. Although there is no cost to join, you will need some time to manage and read your e-mail. The process: 1. You join or subscribe to a list by sending instructions to an automated address (software will process your message as opposed to a person) 2. You may receive an automated message confirming that you have been successful in joining the list 3. You receive another automated message with instructions on how to use the list 4. You receive any messages sent to the list's address by other members 5. You can send a message to the list address asking for information/advice etc 6. The message is automatically redistributed to everyone else on the list 7. Members may send an individual reply to you or to the whole list. If you haven't used mailing lists before, then before you start sending messages you may like to read some of the messages sent by others over a two-week period. This will give you an idea about the sorts of discussions taking place and the formality or otherwise of the list. For details of different SEN on-line discussion groups including SENIT, SENCO and SLD Forum see: http://www.becta.org.uk/inclusion/discussion/bectalists.html Having access to a forum or discussion group can save a great deal of time and energy and offer an almost limitless access to experienced and expert individuals working in the SEN field. Sharing practice and networking with colleagues can greatly assist looking for disability specific resources and good practice.

c) Organising resources
Special schools and units are likely to have acute awareness of the issues of how and where any ICT equipment is used. There should be an effective ICT development plan which takes into account not only health and safety issues but comfort and accessibility. The way in which the equipment is positioned and the way that folders and shortcuts are displayed on the screen will make a huge difference to how effectively students and staff can access the resources and activities. Options for the way in which the mouse and keyboard operate can be set to maximise participation (see Fig. 2).

Unit 10

Unit 10:
d) Literacy and recording
Children with Downs syndrome will benefit from ICT activities presented with text, speech and visual clues. These can range from early language activities based on whole-word sight vocabulary and two-and three-word talking stories through to the whole range of software supported reading schemes like the Oxford Reading Tree. Working with word processors that can offer spoken support to the text and the selective use of picture or symbol support for new vocabulary will enhance the reading and recording process. While the majority of children with Downs syndrome will work effectively in this way using straightforward text for reading and recording, some will have greater difficulty and may need to rely more on picture and symbol support (Fig. 5). Balancing the use of symbol supported text for those for whom it is required, and allowing progressing readers to concentrate on their strength with text requires planning and individual assessment. More details for those for whom symbol support is appropriate can be found at: http://www.inclusive.net/resources/resources.shtml

e) Language and communication

ICT can play a vital role in the acquisition of language skills and offer a variety of alternatives for those with profound language difficulty. It is possible to provide aids for individual pupils according to individual needs, ranging from simple language and reading aids, to develop reading and spoken language, to full alternative augmentative communication aids where necessary. Pupils can join in activities requiring spoken language with something as simple as using a BIG mack (Fig. 4) to make a simple statement, or by touching a screen to activate a spoken response from a grid created in Clicker or Inclusive Writer.

Unit 10

Unit 10:
Fig. 6 Suitable Software for under - 7s with Downs Syndrome
All about Numbers (Semerc) Animated Numbers (Sherston) Beetles (Brilliant) Blob for Windows (Widgit) Choose IT (Inclusive Technology) Clicker4 (Crick) Counting Songs (e-Soft) Dazzle Plus (Semerc) Hands-on Concepts Story Kits (Inclusive Technology) Leaps and Bounds (Semerc) Face Paint (Brilliant) Intellipics (Inclusive Technology) Jemima (Topologika) Jigsaw (Topologika) Kaleidoscope2 (Inclusive Technology) Living Books with Intellitools (Inclusive Technology) Microworlds (Semerc) Millies Math House (Inclusive Technology) My World (Scion) Naughty Stories (Sherston) SUGGESTED STARTER KIT Speaking for myself Jemima My world for Windows Clicker4 A Number Program A Painting Program A Music Program Scally (Topologika) Smart Alex (Brilliant) Speaking for myself (Topologika) Spider and Friends (Inclusive Technology) Spider in the Kitchen (Inclusive Technology) SumOne (Resource) SwitchIT (Inclusive Technology) Tizzys Toybox (Sherston) Touch Games (Semerc) Writing with Synbols (Widgit)

Judith Stansfield SEN ICT CONSULTANT

Unit 10

Unit 10:
f: Useful addresses of software suppliers
Inclusive Technology Gatehead Business Pk. Delph OL3 5BX Tel: 01457 819790 inclusive@inclusive.co.uk http://www/inclusive.co.uk Topologika Software Ltd Harbour Village PENRYN Cornwall TR10 8LR United Kingdom Tel: 01326 377771 info@topologika.com http://www.topologika.com Rickett Educational Media R-E-M Great Western House Langport Somerset TA10 9NA Tel: 01458 254700 info@r-e-m.co.uk http://www.r-e-m.co.uk DSET Sarah Duffen Centre Belmont Street Southsea PO5 1NA Tel: 02392 855330 info@downsed.org http://www.downsed.org Resource Education 51 High Street Kegworth Derby DE74 2DA Tel: 01509 672222 ws@resourcekt.co.uk http://www.resourcekt.co.uk Don Johnston Software 18/19 Clarenden Ct. Calver Rd Winwick Quay Warrington WA2 8QP Tel: 01925 256500 dwhyman@donjohnston.com http://www.donjohnston.com
9

Semerc (Brilliant) Granada Learning Ltd. Granada Television Quay St. Manchester M60 9EA Tel: 0161 827 2927 info@granada-learning.com http://www.semerc.com Widgit Software 124 Cambridge Science Park Milton Road Cambridge CB4 0ZS Tel: 01223 425558 www.widgit.com info@widget.co.uk Crick Software 35 Charter Gate Quarry Park Close Moulton Park Northampton NN3 6QB Tel: 01604 671691 info@cricksoft.com http://wwwcricksoft.com Sherston Software Limited Angel House Sherston Near Malmesbury Wiltshire SN16 0LH Tel: 01666 843200 info@sherston.co.uk http://www.sherston.co.uk

Unit 10

Unit 10:
e: Useful websites for further information
Some websites dealing with Downs syndrome issues The Down's Syndrome Association Website with links to national and international organisations http://www.downs-syndrome.org.uk Down's Syndrome - Your Questions Answered http://www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/pdfs/Your%20Qs%20answered.pdf The Down's Syndrome Association Education Area http://www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/DSA infEducation.aspx Including Pupils with Down's Syndrome in Primary Education http://www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/pdfs DSA%20A4%2012pp%20Primary.pdf Including Pupils with Down's Syndrome in Secondary Education http://www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/pdfsDSA%20A4%2012pp%20Secondary.pdf Downright is an independent organisation based in the North West, working in close collaboration with the Downs Syndrome Association and the Down Syndrome Educational Trust; http://www.downright.co.uk/ Down Syndrome Educational Trust - the website offers advice and information for parents and professionals caring for individuals with Downs Syndrome and offers research findings and a catalogue of teaching resources. www.downsnet.org/downsed Some websites dealing with inclusion issues Alliance for Inclusive Education - a website that describes this organisation's campaign for inclusion www.btinternet.com/~allfie Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education (CSIE) Inclusion page- advice and information on the work of the CSIE in promoting inclusive education. www.inclusion.uwe.ac.uk Enabling Education Network (EENET) - an information sharing network aiming to support and encourage inclusion. www.eenet.org.uk ISEC 2000 - a website that gives information about the International Special Education Congress in Manchester July 2000 www.isec2000.org.uk UNESCO Salamanca Statement - text of the inclusive education framework adopted at the 1994 Salamanca conference. www.unesco.org/education/educprog/sne Some websites with curriculum resources Northern Grid for learning offer SEN resources: www.northerngrid.org Advisory Unit: Computers in Education - this company's website has a Concept Keyboard Exchange with free downloadable resources to use with their Concept Plus program www.advisory-unit.org.uk BBC On Line Education - starting point for resources and links to other websites www.bbc.co.uk/education Channel 4 Learning - on-line support for Channel 4 School television programmes www.4learning.co.uk/index.cfm Creative Communicating - ideas and resources for children with disabilities www.creative-comm.com Crick Software - this company's site has free downloadable resources on their Clicker Grids for Learning page for users of the Clicker program. www.cricksoft.com EduWeb - Curriculum support site from RM, parts of which are free www.eduweb.co.uk IntelliTools - this company's site has a free Activity Exchange where resources made with their products can be downloaded www.intellitools.com 10

Unit 10

Unit 10:
continued
Quest - allows pupils to explore items from the Natural History Museum by clicking on pictures and symbols www.nhm.ac.uk/education/quest2/english Key stage one maths resources www.dfee.org/flash.html Some websites for general professional development in SEN BECTa (The British Educational Communications and Technology agency) information on ways of using ICT in education. www.becta.org.uk BECTa Special Needs and Inclusion area - lots of information about using ICT to support learners with special needs, including links to the archives of useful mailing lists www.becta.org.uk/inclusion/index.html David Fulton Publishers - specialise in books about teaching special education. www.fultonbooks.co.uk DfEE Special Needs- information on legislation, organisations and projects. www.dfee.gov.uk/sen Education Unlimited - news items and articles on educational topics on this website developed by the Guardian/Observer newspapers. www.educationunlimited.co.uk Inclusion - a free, searchable catalogue of on-line resources to support teaching professionals, parents and carers in meeting individual learning needs. www.inclusion.ngfl.gov.uk Inclusive Technology - this company's website has useful information pages on topics of interest to teachers of children with special educational needs. www.inclusive.co.uk Mailbase - a directory of discussion lists primarily for the UK higher education community. www.mailbase.ac.uk National Association for Special Educational Needs - the NASEN website gives information about its activities. www.nasen.org.uk National Grid for Learning - a collection of resources brought together by the UK Government. The Schools area has a Special Needs section. www.ngfl.gov.uk Qualifications and Curriculum Authority - an overview of curriculum, assessment and qualifications. www.qca.org.uk Questions Publishing On-line - this website has a search facility that enables you to find articles published in Question's group of journals, as well as descriptions of relevant books. www.education-quest.com Teacher Training Agency - the special educational needs section gives information on the latest government policies regarding the training of teachers in SEN. www.teach-tta.gov.uk/sen/index.htm Times Educational Supplement - an on-line version of the educational newspaper. www.tes.co.uk Widgit Software - the special needs section of this company's website has lots of useful information. www.widgit.co.uk
Downs Syndrome Association 2003 All rights reserved Any part of this publication may be reproduced and distributed free for educational purposes so long as the source is acknowledged. Commercial reproduction requires the written permission of the Downs Syndrome Association.

11

Unit 10

Unit 10:
Fig . 7 Essential Software
ICT the essential list. Pre-school /early years: Cognitive software using space bar and return Keys-e.g.. Switch suite (Inclusive technology) Blob (WIDGIT) Early reading and language Speaking for myself (Topologika) Jemima songs and rhymes (Inclusive Technology) Mouse use/training Foundation mouse skills (E-soft) Living books (Bronderbund) Leaps and Bounds (Semerc) Primary/secondary: Talking wordprocessor First word (RM) Pages (SEMERC) Talk Write (Resource) Textease (Softease) Inclusive writer (Inclusive Technology) + Curriculum based clip art On Screen Worksheets Inclusive Writer (inclusive Technology) Clicker (Crick) Wordbar (Crick) Reading Support Living books (Bronderbund) Talking books (Sherston) Wellington Square (SEMERC) Planet Wobble (Crick) Spelling Starspell 2000 (Fisher Mariott) Wordshark (White Space) Sounds and Rhymes (Xavier) Gamz2 (Inclusive Technology) Memory training Mastering memory (Calsc) Computers in school and children with Downs Syndrome. The importance of using computers is growing for all children. Children with Downs Syndrome working in mainstream classrooms or in special provision should have access to tried and tested curriculum software for use in most subject areas. The essential list gives guidance on the types of software that will be of most value, and should already be available in any well-resourced SEN department. Where they are not available in school they can be accessed through the learning support teams in most areas. Alongside this a well-resourced SEN department will have access to a scanner and digital camera to personalise work and individualise materials. When schools are planning and allocating budgets, remember that the software is equally as important as the hardware and include the costs of paper and upgrading software as better versions become available. Try to get to at least one education computer exhibition and use the free demonstration software available from most suppliers in order to evaluate new software as it comes on to the market. Teachers and LSAs will undoubtedly need to use some of their own time to develop their own ICT skills, but this is likely to be a very good investment in their own, as well as their childrens future. Although particular pieces of software will run effectively on old computers, children with Downs syndrome and other learning difficulties benefit more from fast multimedia systems. These should be available in classrooms and not just in Computer Suites. 12

Unit 10

Numeracy Numbershark (White Space) Number tiles (Topologika) Talking mathsbook (Topologika) Keyboard Training First Keys (Widgit) Type to learn (TAG) Speedy keys (Semerc) Older Learners Out and About (Semerc)

Appendix 1a:

Examples of Individual Education Plans - see Unit 3

Kingfisher School IEP

Appendix 1

Appendix 1b:
Kingfisher School IEP Scientific Enquiry!
To investigate and use a range of scientific activities and investigations

Appendix 1

Appendix 1b:

Appendix 1

Appendix 1b:

Appendix 1

Appendix 1b:

Appendix 1

Appendix 1

B....... School Pupil: Beth M Support Staff Dr Clarke Sally Smith Lara Murphy

Individual Education Plan Date: November 2002

Appendix 1c:

Support Services Hospital Downs Service Speech and Language Educational Psychologist

Specialist Equipment Suitable height table and chair

Medication None

Setting Integrated Nursery Class of 16 special needs pupils Group of up to 8 pupils per session Also attends a local pre-school at W.......

Support 1 full time teacher 2 learning support assistants Attendance 4 sessions

B....... School Pupil: Beth M

Individual Education Plan Date: November 2002

Beths attendance at school has been erratic due to health, family commitments and calendar dates therefore she hasnt had consistent input for the harder concepts on this IEP.
Action/ Criteria Outcome Achieved though may still need verbally prompting when finished one activity to move to next-May 2003. When activity is chosen, adult to ensure that she spends at least 3 minutes working at it-may need showing what to do.

Appendix 1c:

Area of Learning: Personal, Social and Emotional Development.

Appendix 1

Priority Targets To independently choose and work at 3 different activities during the morning.

To take self to the toilet with only verbal prompt. May need support in finding the apron hook.

May need support in pulling down Achieved-no accidents in nursery leggings or tights. for weeks-March 2003. Achieved but needs refining to use the hook on apron as often just placed on and falls-May 2003.

To independently hang her painting apron on a hook when finished with.

Appendix 1

Area of Learning: Communication, Language and Literacy

Action/Criteria Outcome
Achieved climbing, digging but inconsistent with clapping, drawing, running, throwing when using assorted pictures/photos-June 2003. Making attempts to copy verbs but very difficult to hear what she is saying as so quiet spoken-May 2003. More consistency but not 100%see DLS assessment-May 2003.

Priority/Targets

Appendix 1c:

To understand the following verbs. Monday am Language group using teddies (1 word DLS) running, clapping, drawing, and supporting with pictures. climbing, throwing, digging.

To copy or say the above verbs in a formal situation. When working encourage Beth to repeat the verbs eg look Beth hes running, oh whats he doing-hes 1 to 1 DLS activities and within the classroom at activities as appropriate. Using strongly contrasting objects to illustrate the difference.

To consistently perform activities at a 2 word level DLS.

To become familiar with the concepts of big versus little.

Ongoing, participates but still has little awareness-May 2003.

To begin to copy or use the big and little eg big car.

Adult to model and give praise when Beth attempts.

Achieved by copying-May 2003.

Area of Learning: Mathematical Development.

Action/Criteria
Pictures that are more than a single image and have a variety of colours. Ensure that the difference is very clear. Initially use familiar objects then progress to unfamiliar objects. Keep language use limited and emphasise big and little. Achieved-May 2003. Use 2 plant trays. Adult to seed trays with Beth (hand over hand). Adult to hand Beth objects 1 by 1 to place correctly Beth, look triangle here + pointing. Also use 2 posting boxes for continuity. Achieved using animal lotto games-June 2003. Ongoing, separating randomly, has not yet recognised the criteria for the sorting. Is copying vocabularyMay 2003.

Priority/Targets Outcome

To match 12 cards that have busy pictures.

Appendix 1c:

To separate big and little objects.

To separate triangles/ circles/squares.

Appendix 1

To name circle

Adult to model name at any opportunity Has just started to do this that arises eg sorting, cutting shape, independently_May 2003. drawing. Adult to model name at any opportunity Achieved by copying-May 2003. that arises eg counting real objects, items in a book.

To rote count to 3

Appendix 1

Area of Learning: Knowledge and Understanding of the World.

Action/ Criteria
Use programmes, Switch it Build, Happy Duck, First Look Things. Use programmes, Touch stars, Touch balloons. Achieved-May 2003.

Priority Targets

Outcome

To consistently and appropriately press yellow jelly switch to operate programme.

Appendix 1c:

To become familiar with moving large cursor.

Achieved using mouse but not able to drag and place-June 2003.

Area of Learning: Physical Development

Action/ Criteria
Needs an adult sitting next to her to maintain safety. Initially use 2 person scissors that allow adult to assist in movements.

10

Priority Targets

Outcome
Ongoing, some progress but tends to resort to pulling and ripping-June 2003. Ongoing, can do if supported by adult-June 2003.

To independently hold and cut a piece of card in 2 using snips.

To position hand in scissors and make an open and shut movement.

We will be working on: Beth participating independently in general classroom activities-she must spend plenty of time with peers not

just working individually on IEP. Makaton Signing to be consistently used by staff and by Beth.

Appendix 1d:

11

Appendix 1

Appendix 1e:
Mill Ford School Individual Education Plan Pupil - Dominic P....... Teacher: M. B. Term: Summer 2003

Appendix 1

12

Appendix 1f:

13

Appendix 1

Appendix 2:

Examples of Curriculum Mapping - see Unit 3

The Downs Syndrome Association would like to thank Anne Hutchinson from Hedgewood School Middlesex, for kindly allowing them to publish examples of her Curriculum maps.

Appendix 2

Appendix 2:

Appendix 2

Appendix 2:

Appendix 2

Appendix 2:

Appendix 2

Appendix 2:

Appendix 2

Appendix 2:

Appendix 2

Appendix 2:

Appendix 2

Appendix 2:

Appendix 2

Appendix 2:

Appendix 2

Appendix 2:

Appendix 2

10

Appendix 2:

11

Appendix 2

Appendix 2:

Appendix 2

12

Appendix 2:

13

Appendix 2

Appendix 2:

Appendix 2

14

for Developing Gross Motor skills in Appendix 3: Programme children with Downs syndrome. - see Unit 4

a) Programmes Aims: 1. To break the national curriculum in P.E. into achievable objectives for lower abilities. 2. To focus that curricular area to meet childrens needs in each P.E. subject (gymnastics, ball skills, dance etc.). 3. To cover all areas of psychomotor difficulties, and to work systematically in order to build a solid motor foundation. 4. To continue to engage in brain gym activities to develop gross motor coordination, cognitive skills and spatial awareness. 5. To improve the childrens self awareness, sense of capabilities and the overall confidence in themselves and others. 7. To teach the children social skills and responsibility for themselves and others. 8. To introduce different motor activities and different types of sport, that will encourage the children to be more active in their free time. b) Methods of teaching P.E. for children with Downs syndrome 1. Use music as much as possible. 2. In order to develop stamina, control weight and work on the cardiovascular system, introduce short running and jumping games at the beginning of each lesson. 3. Make the rules very short and clear, to help avoid behavioural problems and stubbornness. 4. Minimise auditory and visual distractions. 5. Speak clearly and keep your sentences short. 6. Use demonstration alongside words. Visual processing for children with Downs syndrome is normally faster than auditory processing, and will help them to understand and to respond faster. 7. Use non-verbal communication tools: pictures, cards, small objects, facial and body gestures, alongside a special sign language (signalong), to emphasise your spoken words and ideas. 8. Keep a persistent lesson structure (introduction on the bench, warm up with music, main part and closing part), that will make the children feel safe, and will leave you the freedom within, to introduce new activities and equipment. 9. Try to encourage the children to use their imagination to help them with problem solving (use stories and drama in P.E.). 10. Let them succeed and praise them in public for special achievements. That will build their self-esteem, as well as emphasise their abilities rather than, disabilities.

Appendix 3

Appendix 3:
c) Motor Development Activities The six crucial areas of motor development to which the activities are applied are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Body awareness, Spatial awareness, Balance, Rhythm and movement control, Co-ordination, Basic skills.

1. Activities that will promote body awareness General ideas 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Sing head, shoulders, knees and toes (eyes open & closed). Touch and name body parts (eyes open & closed). Simon says (eyes open & closed). Draw around your friends body and then swap (look at yourself in the mirror and try to paint your image). Copy movements (the mirror game). Finger, face and body paint. Working in small groups (3-4 children) around a big warm water bowl using small cups wet different body parts with eyes open & closed (can be done in hot weather outside). Same as 7, but using shaving foam (consider possible allergic reactions).

8.

Dance and movement 1. Teach the children simple dances, using as many body parts as possible e.g. the hokey-cokey. 2. Work with scarves and music throwing, and catching the scarf on different body parts. 3. Creative dance, using body parts to describe levels high, middle, low, fastslow, big-small etc. Small apparatus (hoops, bean bags, newspapers, balloons, skipping ropes) 1. Try to move with the equipment on different body parts. 2. Bounce/roll/spin/fold the equipment with as many body parts as possible. 3. Try to work with a partner with 2 pieces of equipment on the same body part, each time one child tells the other child what to do e.g. bounce the balloon with your elbow. Soft apparatus and small trampoline 1. Running games with music: when the music stops, put different body parts on the soft apparatus/trampolines. 2. Form a track (using the soft apparatus/trampolines) and walk through it, using as many, or as few, body parts as possible. 3. Trampoline (work in 3 small groups, each group around a trampoline) 2

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4. Put different body parts on the trampoline. 5. Find different ways to move body parts on it (hit with hands, bounce on bottom legs on floor, balance on knees, sit on the floor stamp heels etc.). Ball skills 1. Big yellow ball place different body parts on it, bounce against it, use different body parts to move the ball in as many ways as possible. 2. Running games with music: when the music stops: put different body parts on the ball, pass to a friend with different body parts, etc. 3. Work with a partner one is standing and calling names of body parts, and the other child tries to hit that part with a soft ball. 2. Activities that will promote spatial awareness Chairs 1. Find the empty chair - sitting in a circle, one child stands in the middle. Everyone needs to move from chair to chair and the child in the middle needs to find an empty chair and sit on it. (Promotes visual tracking and visual discrimination). 2. Changing chairs - Sitting in a circle. The teacher gives each child a number (1,2,3), and after making sure that they remember, calls out the numbers. The children need to stand up and swap places. (Promotes visual discrimination). 3. Musical chairs - (promotes visual and auditory discrimination). 4. Where is the frog? (1) - The teacher gets a chair and a frog, then places the frog relative to the chair (on, under, behind, next to, above) and asks the children, "Where is it?" (Promotes the use of positional language). 5. Where is the frog (2) - Each child gets a chair and a frog. The teacher tells the children where the frog needs to be (on, under, above, next to, behindtry not to model). The children will have to find the right place. (Promotes understanding of positional language). Directions 1. Find the cube - The children close their eyes and the teacher places a brightly coloured cube somewhere in the room. When the teacher is ready, the children go to look for it. If they see the cube they need to go back to their chair without saying anything. The teacher can help by saying: go forward, go backward, to your left, to your right. (Promotes visual discrimination and use of positional language). 2. Monkeys Do - The children stand in a line facing the teacher, and need to copy her movements (left, right (sideways), forward, backward). (Promotes visual tracking and positional language).

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Appendix 3:
3. The pictures game - The teacher place 4 different pictures on 4 different walls of the classroom. The children need to face the right picture according to the teachers word (sun, tree, lion, frog). * Advanced version - The children need to face, or stand with their back to the pictures. (Promotes visual memory and discrimination). 4. Stand in a line - The teacher gives instructions to the children to: Stand in a circle. Stand in a queue. Stand in a line (one next to another). Stand behind me in a queue. Stand beside me in a line. Stand in front of me in a queue. (Promotes visual memory and tracking and teamwork). 5. Left and Right - The children walk around the room and turn left or right according to the teacher instructions. (Might need a sticker on the right hand). (Promotes the use of left and right). General 1. Ball skills - All ball skills involve visual tracking and discrimination (throwing and catching, target throwing, rolling and catching, bouncing, kicking and stopping, target kicking). 2. Tracks - Make any kind of track, using different objects (cones, hoops, skipping ropes, benches, chairs, hurdles), and let the children walk through them. Make them use the positional language (I am going through the hoop, on the bench, under the chair). Hoops 1. In and out - The children standing inside a hoop, then need to place themselves, or move, according to the instructions. (in, out, over - across, on, around, up, down). (Promotes understanding of positional language). 2. Find your house - The hoops are spread on the floor and the children stand inside them. When the teacher claps the children run between the hoops, without touching them. When the teacher claps again, everyone needs to go back to his or her houses (you can use music for stopping and starting).

Appendix 3

3. Harder version - The children stand in the hoops and the teacher tells them which house they are going to visit, everyone runs around, and when the teacher claps, the children need to go and visit the chosen house. (Promotes visual memory and discrimination). 4. Musical hoops - The same as musical chairs but the hoops are spread around the room. When the music stops, each child needs to stand in a hoop. As the game goes on, the number of hoops goes down and the children need to share the hoops. (Promotes visual discrimination and group work). 4

Appendix 3:
5. Line of hoops - A line of hoops is placed on the floor. The children need to: Walk through the line of hoops, placing only one foot in each hoop. Jump from hoop to hoop with two feet together. Walk backwards from hoop to hoop. Walk on the hoops. Hop from hoop to hoop, first on one leg, then on the other. (Promotes inner rhythm, legs co-ordination and visual discrimination). 3. Activities that will promote balance Beanbags 1. Balance beanbag on: head, arm, back, belly, leg, foot, and travel. 2. Balance beanbag on head, standing on one foot, with eyes closed. 3. Place beanbag on foot, kick it and try to catch it. (If easy, try to stay on one foot when catching it). 4. Throw the beanbag and catch it on your: back, arm, head, leg, foot. 5. See games 1-6 in movement games. 6. Balance beanbag on different body parts when travelling on various surfaces: bench, beam, and soft apparatus. 7. Stand in a circle on one foot; say the name of a child and throw the bag to him. 8. Stand opposite your friend and try to give him your beanbag, using feet only. Bench 1. Ways of travelling: walk forwards, backwards, sideways, on all fours, belly crawling, back crawling, two feet jumping, one foot hopping, skipping, turning, jumping from side to side. 2. Ways of balancing: one foot, hand and foot, bottom, belly, knees, tip toes, kneel down and come up. 3. Lie on the bench on your belly sideways, keep hands and feet off the floor, try to spin to your back and back to your belly. 4. Walk on the bench and over soft sticks held 10 cm above the bench. Balance with a partner 1. 2. 3. 4. Stand back to back and try to go down and kneel, and come up again. Sit on the floor. Put your feet in the air and touch your friends feet. Perform cycling movement and slowly try to take your hands off the floor. Walk on a bench (one start from each side) and try to change places without falling off.

Newspapers (no shoes on) 1. 2. 3. 4. Walk on the edge of the newspaper. Jump over it. Tear the paper, using feet only. Wrap your legs with newspapers and sellotape. Try to walk across the hall and then jump, without tearing the paper.

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Appendix 3:
Jumping and landing Let the children jump from different heights. Make sure they jump and land on two feet with knees bent, and only then go to straight standing position. Use the soft mats and stand from the side when guarding. General balancing activities 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Swing and balance on a big ball on your bottom and belly. Balance, rock and spin on a balancing board. Trampoline activities. Make a balancing trail, using different objects and different heights. Let the children walk through it. Relay races: o Balance beanbag on different body parts. o Balance tennis ball on a racket. o Walk on all fours on a bench and roll a ball with one hand. o Walk on a curved beam.

4. Activities that will promote rhythm and movement control With music 1. When the music starts, practice different types of movement: walking/running/skipping/galloping/hopping/crab walking/all four walking/on toes/on heels/on the outside of the foot/spinning etc. (backwards and forwards). When the music stops - freeze. March to marching music and stop/clap your hands. Listen to the music (march), and play the tambourine.

2. 3.

With a row of hoops 1. 2. 3. Jump with two feet together/clap after each jump (jump, clap, jump, clap). Jump with two feet together and walk (one foot in each hoop). Run or walk backwards (one foot in each hoop).

On the trampoline 1. 2. 3. Side to side jumps/forwards and backwards jumps. Jump to the rhythm of the tambourine/marching music. Jump from a high surface onto the trampoline and off to a soft mat.

Appendix 3

Ball skills 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Roll/dribble a ball on a line on the floor. Roll the ball from hand to hand/around your body, while sitting. Roll the ball in & out your legs, making a lazy 8 movement. Bounce a ball without stopping. The teacher shows a number, and the children need to bounce that number.

Appendix 3:
Skipping ropes 1. Here comes the snake: everybody stands on a circle. The teacher stands in the middle and spins a long rope. The children need to jump over it when it comes close to their legs. If the rope hit someones legs he goes in to spin. Skip forwards and backwards. Run and skip forwards and backwards.

2. 3.

5. Activities that will promote co-ordination Skipping ropes 1. Hold a rope in each hand & copy the teachers actions: Side to side (two arms to the same side). Open and close arms. Spin the ropes backwards and forwards. 2 snakes on the floor. One arm up & the other one down (change). Put 2 ropes on the floor: Walk between the two ropes, forwards & backwards. Jump with two feet together between the two ropes, forwards & backwards. Balance walking on the two ropes at the same time, forwards & backwards. Open & close jumps - forwards & backwards: Open = 2 ropes between legs. Close = 2 legs between ropes. Jump over one rope from side to side, and do the same over the second rope (also try forwards & backwards). 3. Thread a small rubber hoop on each rope and tie the two ends together to form stilts. Hold the ropes, put your legs in the hoops and: Walk/Jump forwards & backwards. Lift your legs high forwards & backwards and sideways. Open & close and open & cross jumps. Teach the children to skip with the skipping rope. Walk over the rope and spin it forward (first step). Jumping over the rope and spin it forwards (second step). When confident, teach them to run and skip (third step). Do everything when spinning the rope backward (fourth step).

2.

4.

Gymnastic 1. Work on 3 soft mats: Roll sideways (arms above your head or to the side of your body). Crawl backwards and forwards. Crawl on your tummy (like a snake). Jump with two feet together from side to side. Crab walk, backwards, forwards & sideways. 7

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2. Try to use 2 and 3 ways of travelling to go on the mats. 3. Try and teach the children cartwheels. Dance Teach the children simple dances: The birdy dance (beak (hands), wings (arms), body, 4 hands clap - then let them fly in the room). Lets hop: 2 kicks to the right, 2 kicks to the left, jump forward, jump backwards, 3 jumps forwards. All aerobic activities with music will improve co-ordination. Trampoline 1. Sit around the trampoline and work on bilateral co-ordination of hands: Hit the trampoline with two hands at the same time. Play on the trampoline with your fingers and try to make rain sound. Hand going: up & down, around in circles, open & close, open & cross. 2. Bounce on the trampoline: From side to side. Forwards & backwards. Open & close or Open & cross jumps. Balls 1. Put bouncy balls in small rubber hoops and spread them around the hall. When the music starts - run in the hall (try different ways of moving quickly/ running) When the music stops: Spin the ball. Roll the ball from hand to hand. Throw & catch. Dribble the ball with your feet. Bounce the ball. Head & catch. Spin the ball around your body, while walking. 2. Try all above, with a partner. 3. Work with 2 tennis balls (very hard): Roll on the floor, using two hands. Dribble with two feet. Throw & catch the two balls at the same time. Pass & catch the two balls (hand - hand). 3. Teach the children ball and bat skills like hockey or tennis. 4. Stations work: In & out the cones in different ways. Ball between 2 long ropes (move it in different ways without touching the ropes. Throw into the basket. Bowling. 8

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Bounce the ball while walking on a bench. Roll the ball on a walking beam or a bench. Roll the ball through the big soft cylinder and catch it on the other side.

Climbing frame Work on the climbing frame. Focus on movement of hand and legs simultaneously and in opposition when climbing. Soft apparatus Form a track, using the apparatus, soft mats and benches and let the children move through it in different ways. 6. Activities that will promote basic skills Locomotion 1. Walk/run on different parts of your foot: tip toes, heels, the outsides & insides of your feet (use music). 2. The animal game - Choose different ways of animal movements and use different music instruments to distinguish between them. Let the children listen and perform. Ideas: Slow beat on the African drum = elephant = big slow steps + one arm as a trunk. Fast beat on the African drum = tiger = fast running. Bells= birds = running on tiptoes and "fly" with arms. Rhythm sticks (2 fast beats) = horse = galloping. Tambourine = kangaroo = jump with two feet together. Big cowbell = cow = walk on two feet and two hands. Rain stick = crab = crab walk forwards, backwards, sideways. 3. Relay races - use different ways of movement: walking backwards, cross walk, galloping, crab walk, two feet jumps (inside a sack), crawling (on mats) etc. 4. Trampoline - stand 3 mini round trampolines on a line of mats (the trampolines will have to touch). Let the children bounce from one trampoline to another and then perform good landing (knees bent and then straight) on the mat. To make the jumping more challenging, stand a jumping horse close to the first trampoline and tell the children how many jumps to perform on each trampoline (the same number or different - 2:2:2, 1:2:3, 1:1:1, 3:1:2). 5. Athletics: Relay - Take the children to the football court outside, stand them around it in gaps, give the first child a relay stick (baton) and teach them to wait for the baton, run and give it to the next person. Long-distance jump - Take the children out to the grass and use rulers in order to teach them how to step on the wooden board and then to jump as far as they can. (Each child will need two rulers, one to step on, and one to land on. If the child is landing over the ruler he should take the ruler further away). Short distance running - Mark 50 meters running track and let them race against each other and against the clock. Teach them to keep on 9

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Appendix 3:
running after the finishing line, and to make that line more visible, use white tape and let one child help you to hold it. Let go of the tape when the first child touches it. (It is advisable to run on grass in case of falling). 6. Climbing and sliding - Take the children to the park (choose a good one, with slides and climbing frames) and let them explore. Manipulation Teach the children different ball games: 1. Basketball - If you dont have baskets, you can stand two children inside hoops and they will be your living basket and will have to catch the ball. 2. Football - try to play with different ball sizes, try to have more than 2 goals (each team can score anywhere they want). 3. Mini volleyball - (instead of hitting, you have to catch and throw the ball over the net). The ball can bounce once on the floor before catching it. You cannot move when holding the ball and will have to pass the ball to a member of your team that is closer to the net. 4. Teach the children bat games like tennis or table-tennis. If they are beginners, use small bats and balloons. They can play with a partner and in a small team (4 children) over a bench. When teaching table-tennis, start to play while sitting in front of the wall, in order to learn how to regulate force. The next step will be to sit in front of a partner and try to play (let the ball bounce on the floor once). The last step will be to use the schools dinner tables (mark the middle line with a white tape) and play the game. Stability 1. Balance activities (see balancing ideas). 2. Rolling - teach the children to roll sideways on the mat, inside a soft cylinder, and forwards and backwards (let them hold a beanbag under their chin while rolling). It is very important that children are rolling on the back of their neck, and not on their head. (It is important to check in the childrens record for any history of Atlanto-axial dislocation). 3. Swinging - use climbing ropes to teach the children different ways of swinging: "Tarzan" swing - put 2 jumping horses in a distance, to form trees. Tell the children to stand on a "tree", sit on the knot in the rope, swing and stop on the next "tree". For less able children, tie two climbing ropes together to form a swing. Teach them to use legs and body movements to swing themselves. Hanging ladder - if you have one, tell the children to climb and sit on one of the rungs and swing them. (When swinging or climbing remember to instruct the children to hold on tight). 4. Floating - any activities in the water will promote floating.

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Appendix 3:
d) Additional programme (morning gross motor) Morning gross motor Morning gross motor is an essential extension to the gross motor programme. When talking about any learning, we have to take into account the childs readiness for different inputs. Through coordinative focused movements, we hope to tune the brain, as well as calm the children and prepare them for any specific mental, social and emotional challenge. When teaching through movement, we are helping our pupils to comprehend important aspects of language such as: positional language (on, in, under), directions (left, right, forward, backwards), comparative language (fast-slow, high-low, as well as fast-faster-fastest), and so on. In order to achieve our main objective we have to run a suitable activity for 15 minutes every morning, and consistently stick to the same activity for at least one week. Its always recommended to come back to the activity after a few weeks and to check if the motor planning, co-ordination and speed of performance improves. Morning gross motor Objectives: 1. To warm the childrens body and mind, and to prepare them for effective learning in class. 2. To develop the childrens co-ordination, body and spatial awareness, motor planning and fluency of movement. 3. To create a solid link between the learning in the classroom and the gross motor programme, in order to support and complement one another. 4. To give all members of staff the opportunity to be actively involved and to gain a better understanding of the childrens motor difficulties. 5. To help and build the childrens confidence and their sense of ability, rather than disability. 6. To start each morning with a smile. Activities Clapping This will develop: eye contact, bilateral co-ordination, visual memory, movement flow, motor planning. Equipment: A circle of chairs. Tasks: Clap different body parts (hands, feet, elbows, toes, heels, legs). Dont worry about rhythm at this stage. One-step pattern: 1. Clap hands. 2. Slap thighs. 3. Stamp feet (Change the speed). 11

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Appendix 3:
Two-step pattern: 1. Clap hands-slap thighs. 2. Clap hands-tap shoulders. 3. Clap hands-stamp feet. Two-step pattern with repetitive action: 1. Clap hands twice-slap thighs twice. 2. Clap hands three times- stamp feet three times. Three-step pattern: 1. Clap hands-slap thighs-stamp feet. 2. Stamp feet-clap hands-hands on head. 3. Stamp heels-stamp toes-clap hands. Right and left (take turns): 1. Clap-slap right hand on right thigh-clap-slap left hand on left thigh. 2. Clap-slap right hand on right thigh-slap left hand on left thigh-clap. 3. The same as 1 & 2, but stamp your feet instead of slap thighs. Crossing the midline: 1. Clap-cross arms & slap thighs. 2. Clap-slap left hand on right thigh-clap-slap right hand on left thigh. 3. Clap-open feet apart-clap-close feet together. 4. Clap-open feet apart-clap-cross feet alternately. Partner hand clapping: 1. Clap-slap partners hands. 2. Clap twice-slap partners hands twice. 3. Clap-slap partners hands-slap own thighs. 4. Clap-slap partners left hand with your right-clap-slap partners right hand with your left. 5. Clap-slap partners left hand with your left-clap-slap partners right hand with your right. 6. Try to perform the tasks (1-5) with your feet. * Run the activity every morning for a week (or longer if the children need more practice). * Choose the right starting point and speed of progression for your class. * Come back to the same activity a few weeks later, to see if the children retain the motor knowledge. Lolly sticks

Appendix 3

The activity will develop: bilateral fingers and toes co-ordination, balance, motor planning, hand-eye co-ordination, and rhythm. Equipment: A wooden Lolly stick for each child. Tasks: Warm up - walking/running/jumping/skipping/open-close jumps/open-cross jumps/scissors jumps, on the spot (music can be used). When the music stops, balance the stick on different body parts: head, nose, ear, one finger (try different ones), leg (standing on one leg), foot, back of neck, arm, back etc. 12

Appendix 3:
The flying stick - Place the stick on table/chair with one end overhanging. Tap the end of the stick in order to flip it over, and then try to catch it. (Try the same exercise, but flick the stick instead). Fingers passing - Hold the stick between the index finger and the middle one. Pass the stick to the other hand and hold it between the same fingers. Try to pass and hold with different fingers (only two fingers at the same time). Try with eyes closed. Fingers passing around the body - Try to pass the stick around your body/head/leg, whilst holding it with only two fingers (choose different ones) at the same time. Try with eyes closed. Lets make music - Try to play the passing game, but before passing, tap with the stick on the table/chair. Try different finger combinations, speeds and beats. Group passing - Sit in a circle and try to pass a stick around, while holding it between two fingers. (Use a few sticks and change directions and finger combinations). Toes passing - Take your shoes and socks off. Place the stick between the big and the second toes and hold it. Now open your legs, close them, and without hands, try to pass the stick and hold it between the big and second toes of the other foot. Keep opening and closing your legs and try to pass the stick between different toes. Try with eyes closed. Morning gross motor Lets Balance The activity will develop: static and dynamic balance, bilateral co-ordination, movement flow, motor planning and midline crossing. Equipment: 2-4 skipping ropes, a ruler for each child. Tasks: 1. Place two skipping ropes on the floor and form a long line: (If you have more than 6 children, make two lines). Walk on the rope forwards, sideways and backwards. Side to side jumps over the rope (forwards and backwards). Cross walk over the rope (forwards and backwards). Side to side hop on one foot (and try the other foot). 2. Stand on one foot and try to count to ten without placing the other foot on the floor. Now try the other foot. (Try with eyes closed). 3. The same as 2 but this time try to swing the leg thats in the air forwards and backwards without falling. 4. Give each child a ruler to put on the floor: Place two feet on the ruler and try to stand in the position whilst counting to ten (try with eyes closed). Stand on two feet and try to jump over the ruler and land on one foot. Stand on one foot and try to jump over the ruler and land on two feet. 5. Group 3 children together and place their rulers on the floor. Jump over the rulers in different ways: Walk/run over the rulers. Hop on one foot. Jump with two feet together. 13

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One foot, two feet, one foot, two feet. One foot x 2, two feet x 2. Two feet x 2, One foot x 2. * If you dont have space in your class for the last activity, use the corridor or group the children into bigger groups. e) Summary The gross motor programme has been originally developed in order to accommodate the special needs of the children I am teaching, and to make the objectives of the national curriculum in P.E. relevant to them. The programme has been run by myself, with great help and co-operation from all the staff at Hedgewood School for the second year, and the "Morning gross motor programme" for 2 terms. The children love the lessons and the morning activities, although they dont always find them easy. They are showing significant progress not only in their motor abilities and skills, but in other academic aspects as well. My idea of good practice involves making the lesson challenging but not too hard, interesting but not too busy, and above all, keep in a very tight structure that allows me to work on other important areas such as challenging behaviour, social skills, and self esteem, while making it fun, fun and more fun for everyone. In a new era of inclusion we always have to remember that differentiation plays a crucial role in that reality, and in order to fulfil our duty as educators, we have to remain relevant to all our pupils, meet their needs and help them to achieve. I hope you will find the gross motor chapter helpful, and will use some of its ideas in your P.E. lessons.

Yifat Skehan Any part of this publication may be reproduced and distributed free for educational purposes so long as the source is acknowledged. Commercial reproduction requires the written permission of the Downs Syndrome Association.

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Downs Syndrome Association

National Office: Langdon Down Centre, 2A Langdon Park, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 9PS Tel: 0845 230 0372 Fax: 0845 230 0373 Email: info@downs-syndrome.org.uk Website: www.downs-syndrome.org.uk
Northern Ireland: Downs Syndrome Association Graham House Knockbracken Healthcare Park Saintfield Road, Belfast BT8 8BH Tel: 028 9070 4606 Fax: 028 9070 4075 Wales/Cymru: Downs Syndrome Association Suite 1 206 Whitchurch Road Heath, Cardiff CF4 3ND Tel: 029 2052 2511 Fax: 029 2052 2511 Scotland: Downs Syndrome Association 158 - 160 Balgreen Road Edinburgh EH11 3AU Tel: 0131 313 4225 Fax: 0131 313 4285

A charitable company limited by guarantee Registered Charity No. 1061474 Registered Company No. 3310024 (England and Wales) Registered Office: Langdon Down Centre, 2A Langdon Park, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 9PS The Down s Syndrome Association is grateful for the support of the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) in developing these materials.